Flutter
by bostonrainbow825
Summary: With Jane's unknowing encouragement Maura decides to admit her feelings to the person who makes her heart flutter. (Rizzles)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All original property is not owned by us and we do not infer that any characters, creations or the concept of 'Rizzoli & Isles' are our property and the following fan fiction has been written purely for entertainment purposes only.

 **Flutter: Part One**

"Maura, you have to help me." Jane pushed the door to the ME's office open with her ass as she cradled something in her arms to her chest, covering whatever it was with her arms as she carried it towards where the examiner was sat at her desk frowning into some report or other.

"Okay, you know I will try." Maura looked up still frowning, not sure what on earth Jane had just carried into her pristine office.

"I knocked it off his desk." Jane continued as she gently opened her arms to spill the numerous pieces of the very recognizable 'action figure' that stood in pride of place on Frost's desk, though right now it was in far more pieces than it should be.

"Oh!" Maura looked down at the broken figure with a frown, picking up various pieces to see if any were actually destroyed or if they had simply become unhinged when they hit the floor. "While I assess, why don't you take my laptop and check online to see if we can buy a replacement, in case the case is... hopeless." She held up a small plastic hand with a frown.

"Why didn't it bounce, it's a toy." Panicked eyes looked at Maura with a hard frown. "Made for children, a child's favourite thing is to throw things." Jane moved directly to flip around her best friend's computer and poke at it. "Where should I check?"

"It's an old toy Jane, which will both be to your advantage as it may be possible to repair it as well as the fact that its age will have led to it being more fragile as time has passed." She began to treat the pieces like a skeleton and began to lay them out where they should be. "I'd start with a general search to see if he's available at a local antique shop, then maybe try EBAY and Craig's list. Detective Frost will notice he's missing." She admitted with a soft frown.

"He's out on a call with Frankie, we have some time." Jane continued to frown as she began her search. "Does he just clip back together? Tell me he just clips back together."

"I'm not sure some of him is going to clip back together, but I might be able to secure those pieces enough to give you time to stage him until you can locate a suitable replacement." Maura pushed away from her desk and went out into the lab, reappearing a moment later with a tube of super glue and a small scalpel and spatula. "You will have to tell Detective Frost of your deception sometime Jane, it was an accident."

"So I broke it, it's official?" Jane groaned louder.

"Well his left forearm armour have been snapped off the rotational joint that attaches his gauntlet... his right femur seems to have permanently detached from the rotational joint that is supposed to be his knee. I think those are the two most significant injuries." Maura gave a sum up. "Though... hold on... I think he's been repaired before..." She reached into her drawer and pulled out a magnifying glass. "His back plate had previously been detached and was reattached with an adhesive of some point. I may be able to repair him as long as no one rotates the joints too significantly."

"You've seen Frost he doesn't touch him." Jane perked up immediately. "What can I do?"

"Put on some gloves, I'm going to need help supporting the joins while they dry. I think it's best to reattach these portions before I try to relocate the dislocated joints of his shoulder and hip on the other side." Maura began to push a small amount of glue onto a post it note to manipulate with her spatula. "So how much is he worth on EBAY, I have meant to look as to whether his sword was available. It would be a nice surprise for Barry to have a complete Guardian."

"We could think about it for his birthday for sure it would be nice." Jane nodded and moving from the desk she picked up gloves and began putting them on. "But for now can we focus on the patient we do have." She nodded to the somewhat dismantled action figure on the table. "I knew getting a longer blazer was a bad idea." She cursed her wardrobe choice.

"I like the longer blazer, it accentuates your torso, makes you seem taller and I know you enjoy being tall." Maura smiled softly as she appreciated the change in wardrobe. "Perhaps a stand for him would also be a good birthday gift." She added as she handed Jane an arm to hold and began to prep the hand.

"You enjoy putting time into choosing exactly the right gift for everyone don't you." Jane flashed a quick smile at the blonde as she moved to help as much as she could. "It's a really beautiful part of you." She kept her smile as her chocolate eyes lingered on the ME.

"Why thank you Jane, I do think that finding a gift is an art form." Maura blushed a little under the attention as she held the hand into place trying to let it set it. "I wanted to ask if you were doing anything tonight, or if you'd like to go out for something to eat."

"Please not the Robber, I don't want Kale or sweet potato fries." Jane groaned with a little grimace.

"No, I was thinking maybe something a little more relaxed. There is a food truck showcase happening down at Dupont Square, I thought it would be a palate opening experience." Maura explained her motivation.

Jane quirked her eyebrow at the blonde and then smiled nodding slightly.

"Sounds good." She agreed easily. "As long as we get Guardian Chogokin back in one piece and I make it out of here alive at the end of the shift." She added the proviso.

"Detective Frost is not a violent man, he'll understand this was an accident, especially if you point out immediately you're getting him a replacement." Maura teased using her magnifying glass to check the placement of the hand.

"I hope you're right, he threatened to kill Frankie if he tried to take it back." The brunette reminded Maura with a soft wince, lightly tossing her dark mane over her shoulder out of the way.

"I think he was just being dramatic." Maura assured her. "Well I think his hand is reattached, it needs to dry for a short time, let's work on his leg."

-x-

"With all the wondrous creations on offer, you still had to choose something oozing with red meat and deep fried." Maura held her container up as she speared a piece of her artisan salad.

"Because it sounded amazing." Jane grinned brightly as she looked at what she had ordered, her container literally over flowing with the size of her 'sandwich'. "It smells even better." The brunette raised it closer to her nose and drew in a long breath. "You sure you don't want to swap?"

"No, my corn and blackbean salad is lovely, smell?" She offered it towards Jane laughing when the taller woman immediately seemed to duck away. "This is nice isn't it, eating outdoors, with a wide variety of options, supporting local businesses."

"It is." Jane laughed back. "I love how you turn everything into an adventure worthy to be covered by National Geographic." She shook her head smiling brightly at the blonde.

"Well one has to find enjoyment in the small things, the everyday portions of our life." Maura offered as they moved to occupy a bench overlooking a nearby fountain. "Spending time with people who are important to us, it's a luxury that I haven't been able to enjoy most of my life and I cherish it now."

"Well I'm happy that you're getting the chance to do it now, and I'm happier still that I'm one of those people you consider important." Jane smiled even more as she dissected her sandwich a little and then gave a soft breath out. "Especially as the longer you settle down here the more people you get in that life of yours." She grinned at Maura. "You came here with just parents that you saw rarely and that you felt a little dis-attached to, now, what five years later, you have a mob boss birth father who's serving time, a birth mother and half sister who idolizes you, the entire Rizzoli clan who've adopted you, and your own parents who are closer to you know than they have been in your life." Jane grinned around a fried onion. "Who knows what'll happen if you stick around much longer."

"I wonder." Maura gave a soft smiled looking from the fountain to Jane and then back again. "I feel blessed already for all the people I have in my life." She underlined honestly. "What would you like to accomplish in the next five years?" She looked at Jane taking a mouthful of her salad.

Jane paused before answering, digging around in the container in her hand, discovering a fat covered fry in it's depths with a grin of excitement.

"Maybe a kid?" She offered with a shrug. "I'm getting older right?"

"Are you expecting to find one at the bottom of a take out container or do you have a plan for that?" Maura smiled at her enthusiasm for the discovered fry. "I have also been contemplating my increasing age and wondering if perhaps it's time to abandon the idea of finding a husband first and just have a child on my own."

Jane's eyes came immediately up from her food and over to her best friend, at first a little shocked by her words, but then the shock dissipated being replaced with a softer smile.

"It wouldn't be on your own." She shook her head slowly as warm brown eyes appraised the blonde. "Please see my earlier sentence for an explanation if you need one." She clarified. "And come on Maura, you're beautiful, smart, everything any man in Boston would want, the only reason you're single is because you want to be." She continued. "Hey I'm happier when the man that makes me 'happy'.." She used quotations with one hand. "Is on the other side of the world and out of my way, what does that say?"

"That neither one of us is very good at sharing our lives with those of the male persuasion." Maura gave a soft laugh. "If this was the 1800's we'd both be considering the nunnery." She gave another laugh. "Have you ever thought about just having a baby on your own?"

"I have to admit every time TJ is around my baby hormones kick in..." Jane admitted. "And I hate to tell you this Maura, a nunnery wouldn't have either of us."

"Why not? Well okay I am atheist and don't believe in their traditionally patriarch religion that is really just a compilation of older transitions that had been amalgamated by the Catholic Church in order to further marginalize the earliest harvest based celebrations and pagan ceremonies." Maura pointed out to her. "And you're... well... you're mouthy." She grinned.

"I meant more because you enjoy sex too much and I couldn't stand the diet." Jane smirked. "Don't even get me started on the fashion..."

"Well you know what they say, every girl likes a candle..." Maura giggled around a mouthful of salad.

Jane smirked and shook her head.

"You are bad." She took a large bit of the cholesterol heavy sandwich with a happy content moan. "But before we let the conversation die. You do know I wouldn't let you 'be alone' and have a baby don't you. I'd be with you every step of the way." She made sure to catch hazel green eyes.

"I would hope so." Maura smiled back at her meeting dark eyes. "So you wouldn't object to me looking into artificial insemination? Wouldn't think I was admitting I was undesirable and unsuitable for marriage?"

"You are not undesirable or unmarriable." Jane shook her head with a soft groan. "I know a couple of people who would marry you." She smiled more.

"And who exactly would you put on this list?" Maura pushed for details.

"Frankie." Jane teased with a bright grin.

"I was going to preempt my question by asking if two of them were your brothers." Maura rolled her eyes softly. "Do you have anyone else other than Frankie and Tommy on this list?" 

"You saying there's something wrong with my family?" Jane sat up a little.

"No, there is nothing wrong with your family." Maura corrected immediately. "It's just despite how both of your brothers are handsome, intelligent and wonderfully friendly men, neither of them... set my heart a flutter." She looked almost shyly back at the fountain.

"Set your heart a flutter, I love how you do that." Jane set her half empty container down by her side and just focused on the blonde. "Maura, you're beautiful, if you wanted to find someone to marry you first and then have a baby with then you could but the facts are that you don't NEED a man, you are perfect, and you can have a baby on your own because you are who you are." She shook her head and kept her eyes on the other woman.

"Jane..." Maura glanced back at her, seeing the soulful deep dark eyes looking back at her and feeling the aforementioned flutter of her heart. "Have you ever found yourself wondering if perhaps the reason that you're not having success in the relationship sphere of your life is because the flutter of your heart is already settled on someone you can never have?"

"I'm not sure my heart flutters, but yes, I have often wondered if Casey for sure isn't the 'right' one, that the reason it's easier with him not here is because it's easier with him not in my life." Jane was honest but then she paused. "Now is that because I have feelings for someone else..." She pulled in a breath. "Maybe." She blinked brown eyes softly.

"You have a lot of people on your list who would need only the slightest hint from you that you'd give them an inch." Maura put her tray down as well turning to look hazel eyes fully at the detective. "So if I decided to have a baby, would we have to draw up a custody agreement or would we just wing it?" She decided as always that it wasn't a good time to push things she was sure that Jane wouldn't appreciate.

"You going to leave me and not let me see the kid?" Jane arched her eyebrow.

"Of course not, but it would be best if we have legally binding documents so that in case there is an emergency, or if one of us is incapacitated the other is able to step in without any hesitation." Maura offered as always thinking ahead. "I say this mostly because its not as if any of my family, adopted or biological are in a position to just be called to help at a moments notice. With legal paperwork it would not only give you innate rights but the rest of your family, your mother in particular, who I know will be there anytime our child needed them." She used the term without editing herself.

Jane paused and then moved her food container even further away.

"I'd sign pretty much anything for you." She admitted softly. "And if it came to the welfare of your child then yes, we'd have papers drawn up. Any child you had Maura I would love like it was my own, you know that and I would sign off on that." She reached out and put her hand on the blonde's knee. "Like I love you."

"I love you too Jane, and I couldn't imagine raising a child without you having a big part of that, married or not." She admitted putting her hand over the brunette's tracing her fingers over the knuckles. "I would want any child of mine to have your influence and guidance in their lives, I would want you to help teach them about the world, the real world that I don't understand, about baseball and sarcasm and the love of the Rizzoli family that could literally move mountains."

"You know I could teach you about baseball and sarcasm." Jane turned her hand over and closed her fingers around Maura's with a soft tender smile at the blonde.

"I thought I was getting better with the sarcasm." Maura admitted softly, letting her fingers curl around Jane's in the hold. "What else would you like to teach me about?"

"The intrinsic benefits of red meat." A smirk pulled at Jane's lips as she looked into hazel eyes. "Who is it?" She asked her voice dropping a little as she blinked her own warm brown ones. "I don't think anyone is beyond your reach Maura, anyone stupid enough to consider themselves too good for you..." She shook her head. "They're not, and they're not worth whatever little pedestal you have them on so..." She smirked a little. "If it's Dr. Popoff..." The detective winked.

"I can assure you without doubt that it is not that pickled Russian." Maura gave a soft laugh and shook her head. "And I didn't say that I thought they believed I wasn't good enough for them, I just... don't believe they'd ever consider me for a romantic relationship, there's no fault in that." She tried to clarify.

"Hey don't rule Korsak out like that, he's open to more things than you'd think." Jane winked again and moved closer, nudging the blonde's knees with her own.

"Jane." Maura objected instantly with a soft noise of amusement. "Vince is a very sweet and I appreciate his kindred spirit with animals but he's not exactly my type." She pointed out tactfully. "And there is no point in you naming up everyone else we know because there is nothing you can fix, and I know you'd want to, find a way to make them see how wonderful I am, but it's not necessary, the relationship I have with this person is more than enough to sustain me, I feel more than lucky to have the relationship I do have with them already and I would never want to jeopardize that."

Jane drew in a long slow breath and shook her head, giving Maura a kind smile.

"You're too nice for your own good." She announced pushing up from her place. "Sometimes you need to rock the boat, push the limit and ripple the waters." She moved to pick up her carton and drop it in the recycle bin nearby. "I didn't become a homicide detective by playing nice and being passive, I got it by being a bitch and speaking my mind." She smiled more as she wiped her greasy fingers on her pants.

"So you really think I need to be bold and just make it obvious how I feel to them and then see how they respond? Not wait until I'm sure that my approach wouldn't be seen as unwanted or nonthreatening." Maura pushed up as well, more delicately having taken out a wet wipe from her pocket to clean her hands before she carefully dumped her container in the same bin.

"I'm saying take a chance Maur, what have you got to loose? If you have a friendship with this person already, then putting it out there shouldn't ruin that, not if it really means anything." She shook her head. "Hell, I've slept with Martinez and I can more or less be in the same room as him and be civil." She smiled. "And I can't honestly tell you if I ever actually liked him."

"Your relationship with Martinez is very confusing." Maura admitted slipping her forearm into her purse strap and taking a deep breath. "All right, so what you're telling me is that if you, Detective Jane Rizzoli, were in my place, and felt the things I felt you would just take a chance and hit on this person that made your heart flutter just to see what their response was?" She stepped over to be two feet in front of Jane with her eyebrow arched. "You, being you of course, would throw caution and the natural release of inhibiting hormones and neuro-chemicals to the wind and just do something about it so that you could get past it and no longer live with the what if question?"

"I'm pretty sure I didn't say all that..." Jane smirked. "But ultimately I did say that yes, I think you should do something about how you feel." She brought Maura into focus now that she was closer again, bringing her hand up to rest on the slightly shorter woman's shoulder. "You could be missing out on the best relationship of your life." She smiled brighter still. "The one, Prince Charming." She chuckled. "George Clooney."

"Mmmmmm." Maura made a contemplative noise, her hazel eyes suddenly darker as she studied Jane as she gave her small speech of encouragement. "It would be very nice to have the question answered, one way or the other, it has been very distracting at times, not knowing, reading things into their behaviour and then convincing myself that I'd miss read."

"See." Jane hopped up a little in her heels. "You know it's the right thing to do." She smiled more. "So we just have to work out a when, a where and a how you are going to do this..." She beamed a little more.

"Do you think a planned strategical approach is the best thing or just relying on a more spontaneous moment?" Maura questioned immediately seeing Jane's enthusiasm as a bit confusing to the thoughts running through her head at that moment.

"Maura you hate spontaneity." Jane narrowed her eyes a little. "It's like guessing, it leaves too many things open to erroneous outcomes." She clarified. "No, this has to be planned to the enth."

"I know I don't like spontaneity but this person does, and I think they might interrupt a planned, calculated event as too overwhelming, too confining and it might pre-empt their answer before they've even had a chance to discuss it with themselves." Maura argued.

"They won't know it's planned, what are they Clark Kent?" Jane laughed.

"He had no intuitive or telepathic powers." Maura scrunched up her nose slightly.

Jane gave a groan and rolled her eyes.

"He's a super hero give me a break Maur." She shook her head at her best friend. "What I'm saying is how will 'insert name here' know it's planned unless you tell them, hey 'insert name' I'm planning this huge thing to seduce you next Friday, please don't get worked up about it but keep your calendar free."

"Fine, I am going to take your advice on this and plan something." Maura took another breath and gave a soft nod. "But... as my co-conspirator I want you to go through a run through with me on Friday, are you free?"

"Of course I'm free and of course I'm going to go through a run through with you." Jane nodded instantly. "You deserve the best and if you think this guy is that and you want him, then I'm damn well going to make sure that this has ever chance it can of being perfect." The tall brunette gave a confirming huff.

"Wonderful, now can we go back to the car, I'm getting cold." Maura gave a soft shiver and taking a side step she slipped her arm into Jane's and urged her to move towards the parking lot.

"Should have had the sandwich, can't feel a thing." Jane grinned.

-x-


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All original property is not owned by us and we do not infer that any characters, creations or the concept of 'Rizzoli & Isles' are our property and the following fan fiction has been written purely for entertainment purposes only.

 **Flutter: Part Two**

"Frankie... thank you for coming down to see me." Maura looked up from the autopsy she was performing as the good looking young man walked in wearing his 'detective' suit as she liked to think of it.

"No problem Dr. Isles. Problem with the body? We thought it was just a standard overdose, you got something else we should be checking out?" He took up his familiar curious stance by the head of the table, his head tilted to the side, his eyebrow quirked.

"Oh no, so far all signs point to an accidental overdose, Mr. Garfield should have been more aware of the dangers of heroin but some people's addictive personalities overrule reason." She shook her head to his concern and snapped off her gloves. "I more wanted to unfairly pick your brain, and ask you if there is any particular location in the city that is meaningful to your sister? Somewhere she has liked since she was a child, somewhere she is drawn too, somewhere that has distinctly good memories for her?"

"Like the yard where she used to beat me and my brother you mean?" Frankie grinned as he replied.

"I was thinking somewhere I little less privately owned." Maura smiled back at him. "I was thinking Fenway but it's the off season so that isn't an option." She fretted softly. "Something like that."

"There are a couple of places we used to hang around a lot, but with Jane it's hard you know? She's not the sentimental type." Frankie replied, relaxing his stance slightly. "And..." He paused a frown coming to his face.

"And?" Maura prompted him anticipating what was coming to his mind already.

"Janie was a Daddy's girl..." He sighed. "They'd do things together... I don't know if going to places that were special because of that, would be so special now, you know?"

"Yes, I can completely understand that." Maura nodded having in fact come up with the same conclusion. "Thank you, for trying, I just wanted to arrange something nice for her, things in Homicide have been so hectic and stressful of late." She gave the answer to the question she'd been expecting. "And I know anything I would consider fun or exciting she'll scowl at."

"Nah she wouldn't." Frankie shook his head. "Sure she'd pretend she'd hate it but for you she'd do anything and find herself liking it." He smiled at the ME. "Jane doesn't know half the stuff she likes doing because she's never tried it." He laughed lightly. "She's always been a bit of a hard ass, the big sister, which was always great when I needed it, hell when I didn't want it, but..." He gave a shrug. "We both know that she's Jane too, and I don't think even she knows who that it sometimes." He drew a quick breath. "Franklin Park." He offered up suddenly. "She loves Franklin Park, with the zoo and the rose gardens, the picnic area."

"Really? That's perfect." Maura smiled even more at him. "Thank you Frankie, you've been invaluable." She admitted knowing it should be easy to change their Friday night 'practice run' to Saturday afternoon.

"Glad I could help." He turned and took a step away from the mortuary exam table but stopped. "Dr. Isles..." He turned back and looked at Maura, question in both his expression and tone.

"Yes?" Maura had moved back to pull on another set of gloves her mind whirling with arrangement's. 

"This have anything to do with your 'perfect man'?" He asked trying hard to keep a straight face.

"Well..." Maura felt suddenly very nervous under his gaze. "Your sister told you about that?"

"She told me that I have to look after Jo on Friday night because she and you have a 'dry run' of how you're going to seduce the 'perfect man' that is already in your life but not 'in' your life." Frankie replied putting heavy emphasis on certain words and phrases.

"Yes, then she told you." Maura let out a breath and leaned against the empty table. "Frankie..."

"It's okay..." Frankie held his hands up. "It's Janie, I know, it's cool."

"Frankie!" There was a squeak to Maura's voice as she rushed over closer to him. "Did you just suggest you know that it's Jane?"

"Did you just deny it?" Frankie replied with the little wobble of his head he so often did with his classic double speak.

"Frankie, please... I am quite nervous and unnecessarily agitated as it is." Maura's eyes pleaded with him to just let her off the hook.

"Then tell me I'm wrong." The younger Rizzoli looked back at her.

"You sir are a very good Detective, and I believe you see a lot more then people give you credit for because you're not as brash or loud as your sister can be." Maura leaned back and folded her arms over her chest. "I am not telling you your wrong."

"She hasn't a clue." Frankie leaned back a little too but hardly enough to put any distance between them and he kept his voice almost a whisper. "But..." He smiled and shrugged. "I watch you, both of you." He summed up. "So this 'dry run' is when you're going to tell her how you feel yeah?" He looked at Maura evenly.

"Yes... yes it is." Maura let out an uneven breath. "I made the mistake of telling her there was someone, someone I thought I could never have who I wanted, she told me I had to be bold, concocted this whole idea of setting something up to make it clear to them... thus the conception of this even occurring and of course me having to do something at the dry run. She won't let it go if I don't come clean, and you know I can't lie if she starts directly badgering me."

"Maura, if Jane thinks you think there is someone out there that could make you happy and you're not with them, she won't let it go because she loves you." He stressed gently with a smile.

"I know." Maura agreed with him. "Which is why I have to do something finally, but... if you believe she's oblivious this could be the worst mistake of my life. What if she hates me? What if she can't stand the idea that I could have feelings for her? What if it ruins our friendship?" She fretted openly.

"If you think any of that then you don't know Jane." Frankie shook his head. "Jane could never hate you. She shot Paddy and the two of you behaved like bitches, she still didn't hate you." He recalled the point to memory.

"I have used that instance as empirical evidence that she won't hate me." Maura nodded softly. "I'm just nervous Frankie, this is Jane, your sister, you know how she can react if she's not expecting something and we both agree she isn't expecting this."

"I do." He admitted with an honest nod. "But..." He backed up a little and raised his head to a more normal and neutral position. "Always remember..." A smile crept onto his face. "There are other Rizzolis out here if she turns you down."

"Can you switch your babysitting of Jo Friday until Saturday? I don't think we'll have enough time for a picnic Friday night." Maura smiled at him sweetly.

"Sure thing." He nodded smiling at her happily. "And Maura, what you have to make Jane remember is it's not what she thinks... it's what she feels that matters." He winked at her before slipping away.

"Right, what she feels. Do you have any advice Mr. Garfield?" Maura went back to the procedure of putting on her gloves to continue with her work.

-x-

"I have a plan, I have the entire plan, stop worrying, you don't think I can plan?" Maura drove her car through the entrance to Franklin park, the picnic basket already tucked into the trunk. "As they don't know this is anything then the opportunity to have a picnic in a park, I wouldn't be expecting them to be dissecting my preparedness. Are you not in the mood to help me do this today? If you're not just say so and I can drive you back to your place." She gave the out as she pulled into a parking space.

"No I'm totally in the mood. Actually I love this place." A happy smile pulled at Jane's lips as she looked around them at the busy car park. "I used to come here all the time when I was little, I used to beg Ma to bring me here whenever she could. Me and the boys." She continued to enthuse.

"Well then would you suggest we have our picnic first or walk around the Zoo for a bit and enjoy the animals?" Maura questioned. "And not that isn't because I don't have a plan but options are necessary, right?"

"Right but this is you and your dry run and..." She unhooked her seat belt and turned to look at the blonde. "The zoo and the park don't have to be done in the same day, you could just have a day in the park, or are the animals part of his 'thing'?" Jane narrowed her eyes a little. "You sure it's not Korsak?" She smirked again.

"The animals were a choice for something pleasant to enjoy and share and of course topics of conversation in case things were strained." Maura corrected her pushing out of the car. She turned and looked back through the open door. "They are not into bestiality either before you make some crude suggestion." She tried a bit of sarcasm before popping the trunk and moving to get the picnic basket and blanket she'd prepared.

"Good because I would have to put a stop to whatever you had planned no matter who it was, I value Bass." Jane said totally dead pan as she pushed out of the car and moved to join Maura. "So... how many times have you been here?" She asked of the blonde offering to take the basket.

"Thank you." Maura acknowledged when Jane took the heavy basket, tucking the blanket around her arm. "A few times, not many since my college days." She admitted softly. "I used to come and read here if life was too crazy. There's a spot down by the water I like, I thought we'd enjoy lunch down there."

"I wish I'd known I'd have brought a rod." Jane glanced at the blonde. "Could have saved you a fortune in picnic food, just fished a couple out and fried them up." She smirked more. "Scarboro pond has some nice fish in it."

"If that was part of my plan I would have brought you a rod, maybe we can do that another time." Maura encouraged.

"Okay Maur, I know this is a trial run for your seduction, but we will not be doing ALL the activities you will be engaging in during said rendezvous... I have to think of ways to keep busy." Jane flashed Maura a bright smile.

"Jane, did you really expect my plan was to get them down by the water, lay out a blanket and some cheese and crackers and then have sex with them if they stayed still long enough? Really?" Maura gave a huff and walked a little faster.

"No..." Jane pressed faster to catch up and huffed her own reply. "But we're not rehearsing your sexy come on lines, unless you want to..." Jane quirked her eyebrow. "You can if you want to, I mean I'll try and give you an honest appraisal of them but... I can't give you all the details of how.. you know... effective they are." She looked a little uncomfortable for a moment.

"Can't you try? I mean... can't for just this afternoon you allow yourself to not edit how my conversation and attempts at flirting might be experienced by someone and give me an honest appraisal? I want to know if I'm being too literal, or too overbearing, you know I can get wordy and lose the point if I get nervous and start babbling about sub points of little to no direct relevance to compensate." Maura turned walking looking at her, as she reached to push her sunglasses up into her hair which was free flowing and framed perfectly in the sunlight. It was a warm afternoon, and she'd opted for a loose nearly sheer white blouse paired with a light blue pair of figure hugging jeans.

"You want me to try to feel like I have a penis?" Jane put her hands out to her side a look of complete non comprehension on her face. "Maura, you know I would do anything for you..."

"Jane, you don't have to try to imagine what it would be like to have a penis." Maura rolled her eyes. "Just perhaps blur the line a little and allow an accurate interpretation of whether my actions can cause you to feel aroused in any manner, not just in the literal sense of getting an erection which is not the necessary goal of this plan either you know." She turned back around silently agreeing with herself that this was a BAD idea.

"You have to give me the point that it's a fairly good indicator that a guy is having a good time." Jane hurried to catch up with the blonde.

"Jane, males get an average of 11 daily erections regardless of direct sexual arousal, more if you count those experienced during sleep. Some are simply emotional reflex erections that can be associated with even negative emotions." Maura educated her softly. "Whether or not you can give a normal functioning male an erection is not a great indicator if he's feeling romantically inclined towards you, giving a man an erection is a sign his blood flow is sufficient."

"Never say that in the actually run of this." Jane smiled at the blonde and pushed her shades down over her eyes. "So..." She turned and walked back in step with her best friend. "I will open my mind and my emotions and you can practice all you like on me over picnic sandwiches." She smirked a little casting a quick sideways glance at the blonde. "IIIIIF, you let me by a deep fried ice cream cake at the zoo."

"You opening your mind to assist me to practice... fine you can get a deep fried ice cream cake." Maura had to give a soft laugh. "If you're still hungry after lunch." She put in the proviso. "I packed quite a lot of food."

"Well good, the perfect partner for you needs to be able to eat, I bet you're a stevedore during sex." She lifted her shades and winked at her BFF.

"Really? Thank you." Maura walked at little taller. "What do you think my forte is?"

"With those hands... definitely something hands on." Jane laughed brightly. "A little Swedish massage?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "Can you juggle." She used her free hand to make wiggling finger movements.

"Are you suggesting men like you to juggle their testicles? Perhaps that's why I'm single." Maura dead panned in return.

Jane opened her mouth to reply but then just screwed up her face and just shook her head and instead lightly pushed Maura's shoulder to eject the blonde from her side.

"Away away from me you evil woman."

"What Jane? I thought you were offering me a hands on tip there." Maura continued to tease knowing it gave her the upper hand. "I mean perhaps that is something I've been lacking that has solidified my inability to find a suitable mate." She gave a soft laugh not even able to keep up her straight face. "I'm not saying I'd ever do it."

"Let me guess you can't talk with your mouth full either." Jane poked at her friend again.

"That was crude." Maura commented reaching out to poke her back softly. "Though I imagine you are the one suffering much more than I right now as you picture me giving fellatio to the male of your choosing."

"EW! Don't talk about Rondo like that." Jane made a face.

"Of all the people possible you picture me giving fellatio to Rondo?" Maura quirked an eyebrow.

"Well I said mouthful..." Jane smirked more. "You don't have a small mouth Maura... and I know how big Tommy and Frankie are..."

"The compliments just keep on coming." Maura reached out and poked her again. "And I bought specific treats for you to enjoy since you were suffering through this picnic dry run. I should have brought you kale." She threatened.

"You should have brought treats for 'The One', and explained your choice with each reveal." Jane teased still grinning, but then the brunette pulled to a stop, reaching out her free hand to draw Maura to a stop too. "Maur... I just want to say, that however this dry run goes, which by the way will go fine because it's you and I, and I will honestly give you any pointers I can, and however the real thing goes..." She held Maura's hand tighter. "You deserve to get 'The One', because you deserve the best." She took a breath. "I wanted to get that out of the way before you start saying anything weird to me over square cut sandwiches or egg salad."

"Thank you." Maura squeezed the hand in hers and smiled brightly. "Let's find a good spot so I can show you what I did bring."

-x-

"Is that you saying you are enjoying the sandwiches or you're not?" Maura laughed as Jane tried to stuff an entire crust-less triangle into her mouth. She'd purposefully picked up a selection of deli meats from a local Italian shop, making up the small sandwiches with generous portions of various meats and cheese.

"They're good..." Jane grinned around the treat taking another but thankfully not bringing it to her mouth just yet. "But you know if you wanted to totally seal it, get creative with the shapes, little circles, stars, you've already gone above and beyond with the no crusts, don't get me wrong..." She pointed out holding up the tiny triangle. "But you've gone this far so just ask Ma for her mini cookie cutters, and bam you have mini super sandwiches."

"You mean..." Maura felt a moment of giddiness as she reached into the basket and opened another carefully packed Tupperware container, in it were similar sandwiches but as Jane had suggested they were cut into small stars, circles and moon shapes. She remembered when she'd been making them how Angela had come in and she hadn't wanted her to think anything was amiss so she'd admitted she was making them for a picnic with Jane and the next thing she'd known the older woman had arrived back with the cookie cutters telling her stories of how there was a time when Jane wouldn't eat a sandwich if it wasn't a funny shape.

"This..." Jane almost squealed grabbing a star out of the container. "This is a sandwich that has reached enlightenment." She held it up. "What's in it?" She looked at Maura almost having to fight the urge just to peel it open.

"Calabrase Salami, extra dry... a long age prosciutto and a very crisp provolone." Maura advised her of the ingredients with a smile. "With a hint of mayo not miracle whip as you prefer and just a pinch of sea salt."

"Come to momma." Jane laid on her back and reached out her tongue settling the star on it before snapping it into her mouth a little like the drawer to a cashiers till. Small noises of pleasure came from her mouth as she chewed it before she swallowed and turned clicking her fingers and pointing to the tub. "Are they all the same or are the moons and suns different?" Her brown eyes sparkled.

"Would I be as boring as to make you all the same?" Maura made a tsk noise moving to place a star on a napkin for herself. "The moons are mozzarella with shaved veal, the suns are bright snap cheddar with honey roasted ham."

Jane took several of each and put them onto the lid of the Tupperware, moving to sit up cross legged as she began to stack the three stars she had on the lid together to make one star tower.

"Can you fit this in your mouth?" She asked holding it up between long fingers.

"I probably could fit it in my mouth, but there is no safe way I could chew it and swallow." Maura laughed as she nibbled the edge of her own star. "Can you?"

"I'm gonna try." Jane beamed edged one corner of her mouth around one side of the tower, and easing her fingers into the other side, giving the tower a sideways push to help collapse it into her maw.

"Can you actually taste that? Enjoy the aged provolone?" Maura chastised her playfully.

"UH HUH." Jane nodded and made loud noises of happiness, before she reached forward picking up some cherry tomatoes from the salad that Maura had ready, she dropped them on the Tupperware, still chewing, rolling her eyes in pleasure.

"Did I pick the correct things to tantalize your taste buds?" Maura had decided sometime as they'd laid out the blanket and began to get comfortable that she might as well relax and let this roll, there was no point getting too nervous or worked up or Jane would pick up on something well before she'd solidified the fact she was going to do this in her mind. The truth was she'd already mapped out what she thought would be Jane's reaction... Detective Rizzoli she anticipated would at first react badly mostly because Maura expected she wouldn't know how to react... she was preparing herself for this of course... the real reaction would be once Jane had disengaged and had some time to think. Their next interaction, Maura had decided, would be the one that really told her what Jane's take on her admission was an in the worse case scenario how long it would take to find the status quo again in their friendship once she was rebuffed.

"You picked perfectly." Jane looked over to the blonde from where she was reclined on the blanket, not even really sitting up to reply, though she did have one leg braced up, the rest of her was laid flat on the blanket, her hands behind her head. "If I had sandwiches like that every day I might eat something other than Fluff and jelly." A smirk pulled on her features. "As long as I still got fluff and jelly." She added the proviso thoughtfully.

Maura watched Jane eat her way through the other dozen sandwiches, having indulged in only two herself knowing her stomach was far too unsettled for eating. She waited until the detective had effectively picked everything she liked out of the salad she'd mixed before she reached into the basket again.

"And now for the surprise, I found a recipe in a magazine article relating to picnics and I had to try them." She took out two small jars that were filled something Jane couldn't see because of the small swatch of gingham cloth tied around them. "Brownie Jar surprise." She grinned and put them down pulling out a long handled spoon before she carefully unwrapped one and opened it. As she eased the spoon in, it was clear the brownie had a gooey chocolate centre on top of its obvious chocolate nature and sliding closer on the blanket she held up the mouthful for Jane to try.

"You know Maur..." Jane didn't immediately lean in to take it. "That doesn't look gluten free, or in anyway shape or form good for me." She smiled more and more. "I think we should practice this run a few more times and you try out more recipes like this. The chocolaty, calorific kind." She licked her lips and leaned in, closing her mouth around the spoon, her eyes closing at the same time as the sweet melty chocolaty taste filled her senses combined with the subtle spices and other flavours that were in the desert. "Mmmm that is good..." She added, moving the mouthful to her cheek to savour it, but also to let the spoon slide free.

"I didn't disclaim it was gluten free or good for you." Maura admitted with a smirk as she scooped out another spoonful waiting until Jane had swallowed before offering it again. "I thought you deserved a little something naughty."

"Well it tastes divine, not naughty." Jane shook her head. "You made this, I can't believe you made this." She ate the second spoonful quicker. "There has to be a thousand calories in this..." She groaned as she ran her chocolate covered tongue over her lips.

"791 to be exact." Maura gave a soft smirk and reached down to pick up the discarded swatch of cloth, holding it out to Jane as a napkin but feeling her heart start to race in her chest as she remembered what the small note attached said in calligraphy on the inside.

'You make my heart flutter'

"You know I'm pretty sure they lie on magazine recipe listings." Jane made smacking noises with her lips and did a pretty good goldfish impression under the hopes of getting more spoon fed to her, happy when Maura slipped another serving into her mouth. "To get people to try it out." Jane continued talking around her treat. "Because it's all a carefully planned move in the chess game of advertising." She smirked as she brought the small swatch of material up to dab at her lips, stalling as she looked down and caught the black writing on it.

Dark eyes panned across the script a couple of times and then very slowly a smile crossed the brunette's lips.

"Oh you are good Dr. Isles." She pulled the little round out as flat as she could before holding it up clearly as tight as she could to make the writing as flat and as readable as it could be. "This is smooth, very, very smooth." She nodded turning it back around to read it again, before she gently crumpled it and almost oddly tucked it into her jeans pocket, turning onto her side, leaning her weight onto her hip, before she let her face crumple a little into a confused frown. "I do?" She made her voice deep more 'masculine'. "But Maura... you've never... I don't think I understand..."

"I think you do understand... it's not about anything other than chemistry, the play of free electrons in the air between us, my electrons get excited whenever you're nearby, I get excited whenever I hear your voice, get to spend time with you, get to share my life with you." Maura slipped her legs up under her a little. "You are the first thing I think about in the morning, the last thing I think about at night, I worry about you because of the job you do but I know you're do everything you can to not just keep the city safe but yourself. I have never known what it's like to have someone care for me, defend me, know me the way you do." She found the words come a lot easier then she'd thought they would as she put down the dessert to rest on the blanket. "In a way I think I've been waiting my whole life to meet you, building up expectations of who I thought would capture my heart only to find you'd done it without even trying."

For a moment a look of confusion flashed in brown eyes as the other woman too adjusted how she sat, moving to sit cross legged, her back straight.

"I've... I've captured your heart?" The 'masculine' tone wavered slightly into Jane's normal one. "You've never said... never hinted... Do you really feel I know you that well?" She added.

"Yes, I feel... I know you know me better than anyone." Maura balled her hands up into her lap as she made herself hold dark eyes as she gave the truthful answer. "And... I know I didn't say... well sometimes I feel like I hinted but maybe I was too subtle, maybe the complexities of what I was trying to say got lost in the moment... but at times I thought... felt... like you already knew... that I love you with everything I am Jane." She made sure to say the brunette's name to make things as clear as she could, to take this out of the realm of 'dry run' for good and open herself up for Jane's reaction good or bad, she'd asked for that, and Jane deserved the right to react however she needed too.

"Okay..." Jane's hand suddenly came out to rest on Maura's shoulder. "You had him, you had anyone but for the real thing..." She blinked brown eyes rapidly at the blonde. "Don't use my name." She patted her hand in place rapidly and backed up a little. "This is definitely a rap. You are good to go."

Maura let out a loud deep sigh as she realized how Jane was 'trying' to respond still.

"Jane, you... Jane Clementine Rizzoli... you..." She stressed the word again looking at the brunette knowing she couldn't this time let it be dodged off as play or anything but truth. "Make my heart flutter."

Jane stopped in her retreat her hand moving to the pocket of her jeans where she had pressed the small swatch of fabric with those words written on them, pressing the material against her body as she kept her eyes to the floor.

"This was all for me?" Her tone now was naturally low. The way the brunette's fell when she was contemplating something heavy, something that knocked her sideways and overwhelmed her senses.

"This was all for you." Maura confirmed with a soft breath in, feeling her courage steel a little with each moment Jane didn't immediately run.

"There's no perfect guy?" She shook her head still looking at the blanket edge that was beneath her boots.

"There is only perfect you." Maura admitted softly. "I know you were probably just thinking I was being evasive but I never used a masculine pronoun."

Finally, very slowly the brunette brought her head up blinking her brown eyes as she looked at Maura though they were still full of confusion and non-comprehension.

"Maura I..." She shook her head slightly. "I love you, you're the most important person in my life, with Frankie and Ma and Tommy..." She frowned more. "But..."

"Jane please..." Maura took another breath hating that she'd caused such confusion in her best friend on one hand but knowing this needed to happen on the other, to give her an answer, a conclusion as it were. "If you don't know what to say, if you need time to come to an answer I understand. I won't take it as hope, just as the time you honestly need to think about what I've said, to digest it as it were. I hope you remember what I said by the fountain..." Her voice dropped lower. "I never want to lose your friendship."

"That won't happen." Jane shook her head and moved the distance between the two of them she caught the smaller blonde up in a fleeting hug. "I couldn't live without you." She breathed into blonde hair before stepping back. "I'm gonna get a cab home." She pointed over her shoulder and took a long stride back away. "I... I need... I need some air..."

"I know, it's okay." Maura hated that she felt tears stinging her eyes but she locked her jaw and made herself steel them back. She didn't want to make this harder on Jane and her being reduced to tears would do that for sure. "Would you mind sending me a text when you're home safe, that's all." She outlined, reaching down to find some way of busying herself putting things away.

Jane had already turned and was several steps away when Maura made her request. The brunette stopped, turning again, holding the sides of her leather jacket closed with one hand, the back of the other held up to her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I can do that." She nodded.

Maura made the mistake of looking up, and the instant she saw the usually stoic detective crying broke her heart and she let her hands stop what they were doing.

"Jane, I didn't do this to hurt you... it isn't an ultimatum, there aren't any strings or expectations... I just... needed to tell you, to be honest that's all." Maura reached up and brushed at one eye with the back of her hand.

"I know Maur, I know." Jane kept turned away and pressed on away from the blonde on the uneven grass. "I'll text you, everything will be okay."

"I hope so." Maura whispered more to herself seeing Jane's long legs pulling her too far away for her to hear anything that the blonde could manage at that moment unless she pushed volume into her voice. With another sigh she let her tears start to fall and just pulled her knees up to her chest for a moment knowing she had all the time in the world to clean up and carry things back to her car.

-x-


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All original property is not owned by us and we do not infer that any characters, creations or the concept of 'Rizzoli & Isles' are our property and the following fan fiction has been written purely for entertainment purposes only.

 **Flutter: Part Three**

Frankie was sprawled out on Jane's couch watching a movie on her television, Jo Friday happily curled up on his legs asleep when Jane finally pushed into her place.

"Hey, you're back..." He tried not to grin or give away that he knew the real purpose of her outing with Maura until he had better gauged whether the doctor had opted to go through with her plan and figured out how his sister had reacted. "Did you bring leftovers?"

"No." Jane's answer was in no way curt or sharp it was just almost void of emotion. "Thanks for looking after Jo." She moved over to hang up her jacket then moved into the kitchen. "You can go home now." She urged her brother to move and leave.

"Can't I watch the end of the movie?" Frankie looked over the back of the couch at her frowning. "What's wrong with you?" He quirked an eyebrow at her. "I brought beer." He pointed towards the fridge.

"How long is it?" Jane leaned her hand on a top kitchen cupboard not looking through into the sitting area at him. "I'm just not in the mood for company, being out in the sun gave me a headache."

"It's fine, if you're that anti-social I'll just finish my beer." Frankie flicked off the TV and picked up the half empty bottle from the table. "So how was the run through? Does the Doc have some smooth moves or what?"

"It's Maura you know she does, everything she does is planned and perfect." Jane sighed as she got herself a glass from the cupboard she had been leaned against with a sigh. Putting it down on the worktop, her hand moved almost unbidden to the pocket that held the small swatch of calligraphy filled material, her breath catching in her throat as she felt her own hand press against her hip. "I don't really want to talk about it Frankie."

"I wish it was me she was doing all this set up for, I mean not only is this mystery guy lucky enough to have Dr. Isles, the beautiful, smart, successful woman that she is pinning for him, she's actually going to do the hard bit and put herself out there first to try and start things." Frankie leaned against the island as if he was just making idle conversation, having let go of the idea of getting her to talk about her mood. "And hey, who doesn't love picnic!" He made a goofy grin.

"You'd be good to her wouldn't you?" Jane finally turned to look at her brother, the instant she did it was obvious that whatever time had come and gone since she had left the park and gotten home, most of it the brunette had spent in tears. "Maura, if she was yours, you would be good to her, treat her right?"

"Hell yeah, if that woman gave me a second look I'd do everything I could to keep her happy, keep her looking at me and not the thousand other guys she could have." Frankie nodded over and over. "I mean I'd try to remember that if she did want me, it wasn't cause I was one of her Doctor, Professor, Political... it was cause she wanted what I had, 'cause hopefully I made her feel special, and loved and took care of her in a way that she can't take care of herself... oh and made her feel sexy." He grinned softly.

"What if you had no idea what that was, what she saw in you, what it was you did that made her feel that way and you had no idea if or how it happened or if you could keep doing it." Jane frowned harder. "Because it wasn't something you tried to do, it just... happened."

"Janie, what's going on?" Frankie slipped onto the stool and looked at her with a soft brotherly concern. "You're upset, you've been crying..." He pointed out softly hoping it wouldn't make her retreat immediately.

"You can't tell anyone, not Ma, not Frost, no one." Jane looked at him frowning harder.

"Come on, I'm a vault, I'm your brother." The dark haired man gave her a look. "I promise I won't tell anyone, especially not Ma, not Frost, not anyone, this is you and me and the reason there was a hole in Mrs. Peterson's garage." He put his fingers up in a boy scout salute.

"It was me." Jane pushed her hips against the worktop behind her with a hard sigh, pushing her hand up into dark wind blown locks. "There was no dry run, no trial pass..." She pulled out the small circle of gingham cloth and held it out to her younger brother. "It's me." Her chocolate eyes filled again with tears.

Frankie inside did a little 'woot woot' for Maura actually getting the courage to finally say something but he kept his reaction cautionary as he took the swatch and turned it over reading the short written words letting his mouth go into an 'o' shape.

"It's you? You make her heart flutter." He gave a nod and then slipped the piece of cloth onto the island turned around so the words were purposefully facing Jane. "You sly f-ing devil!" He leaned back and grinned at her.

"Frankie why are you grinning?" Jane snapped at him a hard frown creasing her brow instantly.

"Because Jane come on, this is Maura... what exactly about Maura..." He stressed her name each time he said it. "Telling you she's got a thing for you is a problem?"

"It's Maura." Jane pulled in a breath and dropped her head. "My best friend." She pushed her hand through her hair again. "Frankie I suck at relationships, I get on better with Casey when he's in a war zone than I do when he's in bed next to me, I could ruin everything that's good in my life with this." Jane grabbed the small piece of material. "I can't lose her." She looked at Frankie, tears spilling again over onto her cheeks. "I lived with that when I shot Paddy Doyle, I can't do that again."

"Jane... Janie... come on, you're not going to lose her." He slipped around the cabinet and pulled her into a hug, rocking her side to side a little as he hugged her. "I know it was rough during that time but come on you two made it through that, you can make it through anything." He reminded her internally feeling far more like this might work out since his sister's first panic wasn't about the fact that Maura was a woman. He held her for a longer moment in silence before he dropped his voice lower. "Do you love her Jane? And I don't mean in the friendly way, I mean in way that makes your heart flutter." He used Maura's term.

"I don't know." Jane was honest actually seeming to take some comfort from her brother's touch, which in itself was unusual. "Take this how you want okay..." She pulled back and looked at him. "I let her touch me." She took a breath. "I like when she touches me."

"I know you do." He gave her a soft one sided smile. "Jane..." He softened his voice again. "I've been watching you two for how many years now. You have this..." He made a motion with his hand. "Thing between the two of you. Sometimes it's a look, sometimes the way you finish each other sentences, definitely the way you will risk anything to keep her safe, or make her happy... and even when you fight, like the whole thing with Paddy Doyle, you two were brutal with each other because you could be, because the connection between you was strong enough to take it." He took a breath. "Maybe the 'thing' is that you two are meant for each other?"

"I... Frankie, I'm awkward with men, and I've been sleeping with them since I was 18." Jane flared her nostrils a little and looked at him pleading with him silently to understand where she was heading with this. "Maura needs someone with talent... who can... you know... satisfy her."

"Okay so you're awkward... but tell me honestly have you ever had a night where everything you were feeling, the emotions, the love, the connection was so overwhelmingly good you didn't feel awkward?" He questioned trying to find the right way to ask this without having to go into details about his sister's activities in the bedroom.

"A couple." Jane shrugged and then breathed out, but before the full breath had left her lungs her eyes went wide, her eyes having fallen on her leather jacket hung on the hooks on the back of the door. "Shit shit shit..." She cursed, pushing past her brother almost roughly in her hurry to get to the coat, pushing her hand into the pocket. "I promised I'd text Maura when I got home and I told her I was getting a cab and coming straight here that was..." She glanced at the clock. "Seven hours ago."

"If I know Maura..." Frankie stayed put and let her move. "And you what, bailed on her and left her in the park after she gave you that note... she knew you were going to be a few hours before you went home." He pointed out to her even as her fingers flew over the keys. "And come on Jane, you're not 18 and you're not stupid, sure you've never been with a woman, but that doesn't mean you won't know how to satisfy her... and hey come on, it'll be fun figuring it out right?" He pointed out to her with a grin. "You telling me you've never even had a dream about making out with her?"

"I'm not answering that." Jane cursed again as she obviously fumbled the message she was typing and suddenly the tall detective was stalking away from Frankie, the phone held against her ear now.

"Come on, you need to talk about this." He urged her picking up his beer again and moving to settle back onto the stool.

"Hello Jane." Maura's soft voice came onto the line after the second ring, there was a soft exhaustion to it that the Detective could probably hear immediately.

"Can I come over?" The words had left the brunette's mouth almost before she could stop them.

"Of course you can." Maura's answer was direct and simple. "I was just trying to get Bass to eat something, did you want me to order something for dinner?" She offered glancing at the time and seeing how late it had managed to get, guiltily she looked at the tortoise curled in a pile of clothes at her feet having given up his attempt to climb over them, she was sorting to try and keep herself occupied.

"We can to that when I get there, together." She pointed out and then quickly shut off the phone and looked at Frankie. "You're right, I need to talk about this, but I'm talking to the wrong person." She gave him a quick smile and pushed her arm into the sleeve of her jacket and moved to pull open the door. "Watch Jo for me."

"Yeah you got it." Frankie smiled at her. "Hey Jane..." He called and waited until she paused at the door. "For the record, I think she's got good taste." He winked at his sister.

"Wish me luck." Jane paused in the doorway.

"You don't need luck, you got this." Frankie assured her. "Though... I'm calling dibs on best man now, Tommy is an usher." He teased.

"You think I trust you with a ring, I know how that hole got in Mrs. P's garage." Jane grinned wide at him and winked back.

-x-

The minutes it had taken between Jane's call and waiting for the door to her place to open and the wild dark haired detective to walk in had been literally excruciating for Maura. The first thing she'd done was change, three times in quick succession, trying to find an outfit she felt was appropriate for the situation. The first a dark dress had seemed to morose, too moody, as if she'd already started a mourning procedure assuming Jane was going to rebuff her and she knew that the choice might set a tone if Jane was still uncertain that Maura honestly didn't want.

The second had seemed right until she looked in the mirror and realized it was far too... well... sexy. It showed far too much cleavage and clung to every one of her curves in a deep red suggestive way. It wasn't exactly the look she wanted either, too assuming somehow in the idea that either she expected Jane to arrive and proclaim her agreement to Maura's admittance or in a more deceptive way thought she could 'wow' the detective to her way of thinking.

No, in the end she'd needed something that said neither of those things, she needed to be wearing something that just said here I am, Maura Isles. The same woman you've always known, the friend you will never lose and the heart you could have with just a word if you want me. For this reason she'd done the almost unthinkable, as a woman who rarely wore the same thing more than a few times in an effort to explore all the possibilities the world of fashion had to offer her, she slipped back into the jeans she'd been wearing that morning and was about to slip back into the blouse but noticed that it had gotten unbelievably wrinkled when Bass had decided to slumber on it. As a quick alternate she pulled a Armani wide strapped tank top that was made of silk, its colouring a little like an abstract painting in a palette of multiple complimenting colours.

'This is perfect.' She'd confirmed looking in the mirror to fluff her hair and double check that her eyes weren't as puffy or swollen as they had been earlier.

That had been when the real nerves had set in, without fashion to focus on she'd wound up in the kitchen, deciding that maybe it was best to pre-empt Jane's usual request and start making coffee. Settling her mind to the task had taken up a few moments as she ground beans, checked the smell of the blend she had created especially for that moment on a whim and then began to set the cafetiere to allow them to long soak in the hot water she prepared. Even taking the time to take mugs out of the cupboard and wash them out in the sink, trying to do anything to make her mind reach something that resembled calm as she felt her stomach tightening into hard knots in her abdomen.

She almost hated herself for being so logical now, for having decided it was this moment, the one when Jane walked in the door and talked to her that would dictate the brunette's response to their picnic. Jane had now had hours to think, hours to contemplate and formulate her response and while watching her walk away in the park had been hard, Maura knew these moments were going to be the hardest.

The moment almost got worse when unusually there was an almost timid knock on her door, not just the almost brusque and confident entrance that was Jane's trademark arrival.

Maura made herself take a breath and then walked over to the door, pulling it open and letting a soft smile cross her face.

"Hi Jane, you know you don't have to knock." Maura stepped back and headed towards the island. "I just made coffee, let me pour you some."

"Thank you." Jane offered a smile but Maura had already turned away and walked off into the house missing the fact that the brunette had pulled a rather ragged bouquet of chrysanthemums from her side. Walking in Jane cleared her throat slightly "Maur.." She said trying to get the other woman's attention.

"Yes?" Maura looked up from the island and felt herself stall as she saw the bright orange bouquet in Jane's hand. "Oh Jane, they're beautiful." She smiled softly and moved back around the island, feeling a warmth spread over her body as she tried to control her reaction. At least they meant that Jane wanted this discussion to go well.

"Actually they're pretty beat up and at least one of them has no flower on the end, like it was eaten off by a stray goat..." Jane pointed to the headless stem with a crooked smile. "But it's all they had at the Seven Eleven."

"They are beautiful." Maura repeated softly. "That you stopped to get them is beautiful." She expanded stopping when she was only two steps in front of her holding her hand out for the flowers. "They would probably benefit from a vase of water and a little arranging."

"And a few dozen friends from a florist." Jane handed them over with a smile knowing the offering was more than a little sub par for the ME. "I needed to apologize, I made you wait hours for a text that should have come in less than one, and that was unnecessary, especially considering the circumstances." She kept her smile as she focused on hazel eyes. "We need to talk." She added, keeping her voice soft and caring.

"We do but it's okay Jane, I didn't have a time frame, I just wanted to know that you were safe." Maura acknowledged softly as she moved to get a vase from a low cupboard.

"I'm safe." Jane moved to lean against a kitchen cabinet smiling softly at the blonde as she carefully got the vase that was without a doubt worth fifteen times the amount that the flowers were and began to prep the bedraggled mums on the side. Wiping her hands on her dark jeans Jane pushed her shoulders back and eased off the support of the work surface behind her and focused on the ME's back trying to clear her fast moving mind as she moved slowly across the kitchen towards her. "Are you?" Jane said when she was right behind the blonde, while at the same time she reached out a trembling hand and put it low on Maura's side, keeping a space between their bodies, but deliberately making the hand hold nothing like anything she had deliberately laid on her before.

To say that Maura didn't immediately notice the touch, the unprecedented hold was completely false. Immediately she had realized that the silk tank she'd chosen to wear allowed the usual warmth of the brunette's hands to seep through it onto her skin in only an instant. Her body subtly leaned into the hold without conscious instruction, unable to resist the opportunity to feel Jane so close to her.

"I'm safe." She whispered out the response putting her hands on the island and for a moment not fussing with the flowers.

"That's all that matters to me." Taking another steadying breath Jane moved her other hand and put it on Maura's other side. "You." She clarified, her large hands reaching far around the blonde's body even though her palm rested soundly on the blonde's hips.

"I hope its obvious that you are what matters to me." Maura let her right hand slip off the island and brought it the short distance to rest softly over Jane's fingers, stroking her thumb over the long digits trying to focus on keeping her breathing even, despite the fact it was naturally speeding up.

"I can't say I know what I'm doing, or what it means..." Jane kept her voice low, the usually thick flowing timbre a little shaky. "But what I do know is that you're the most important relationship I have in my life and I can't label what it is I feel for you." She stepped a little closer slipping her hands further around Maura. "But I trust you more than anyone, I love you more than anyone, and this..." She spread her large hands out to cover as much of the blonde's body as she could. "Scares me but doesn't..." She stopped again. "You touch me." She changed tacks. "And I like it Maura. I like it."

"I love you Jane." Maura needed only the spread of Jane's arms fully around her body to take the slight step back now so that she could feel the full length of the brunette behind her, the strength in her body that she trusted more than herself. "I trust you... and I like to be close to you." She made the soft admittance actually closing her eyes.

"How do you know? How do you know how you feel? How are you sure?" Unknowingly the brunette pulling Maura closer as she felt the blonde relax against her body.

"I haven't always been sure." Maura admitted leaning in tighter as well. "But a lot of little things, being honest with myself about my feelings for you, helped me understand the depth of what I was feeling and the times when I've almost lost you..." Her voice tightened slightly. "Staring into that abyss, having it stare back into me... I couldn't deny it to myself anymore." She closed her arms around Jane's where they were around her body.

Jane just let them rest there for a long moment in oddly comfortable silence, contemplating just how comfortable it did feel, how almost empowered she felt just holding Maura, it made her feel strong, protective and more than that it felt... right.

"I'm sorry I ran away." Jane apologized softly.

"You didn't run away, you needed a chance to think, to react..." Maura shook her head gently against Jane. "I don't need you to apologize to me for that. I knew when I took your advice to be spontaneous that you were going to need the opportunity to honestly react as you needed too." She also settled into the comfort of the embrace, feeling a part of her soothed by the closeness, excited by the touch. "Jane..." She felt her voice drop to a whisper. "I didn't tell you expecting everything to change in an instant, if..." She took a soft breath as she spoke. "If you wanted to explore what we could become beyond friends, then it deserves to be taken step by step, building upon what we already are to evolve into what we might be, at a pace that we set together."

"Is this too much?" Jane tensed slightly.

"No, no Jane this isn't too much, this is... wonderful." Maura pulled Jane's arms around her a little tighter. "Because it confirms to me that you're not mad at me, or upset with me, or feeling the need to separate from me because of my admittance." She looked back over her shoulder briefly catching a glimpse of Jane's face as much as she could. "Being close to you... makes me feel safe... cherished... loved. Being in your arms now that you know..." She felt a smile pull at her features wishing somehow Jane could see it without having to move. "It feels like I'm dreaming."

"I do love you." Jane admitted easily. "I just don't want to lose you because I do something stupid."

Slowly Maura turned her body in the embrace, shifting her arms so she could bring her hands up to rest on Jane's shoulder needing to see dark eyes. Hearing the thread of self doubt that was in Jane's words, the focus of her concern being that she was going to somehow ruin them made her heart break for the woman she loved so much.

"Jane..." She said the detective's name softly as she held her eyes with her own hazel ones. "You're not going to lose me, ever." She underlined. "Just as you reassured me in the park, my admittance wouldn't mean that I'd lose you, even you rejecting me wouldn't mean that you'd lose me." She breathed out honestly. "This may come as a surprise to hear..." Her mouth actually curled into a soft smirk. "But you do stupid things all the time; you hide instant coffee in my house, you put your feet on the coffee table, you make fun of my refusal to guess at work, you refuse to eat healthy and think hiding that half eaten doughnut in your drawer when I come upstairs despite the coloured sprinkles all over your desk means I won't notice." She smiled more. "Most of them become reasons that I could also list as to why I love you." She revealed. "Except the bad eating habits, and that is only because I want you to be as healthy as you can be so that we can grow old together."

A smirk pulled at Jane's lips as she held on to Maura just a little tighter and leaned forward resting her chin on the blonde's shoulder.

"So what do you want to get to eat, I bet there is a tonne of acid rolling around in there..." She lightly smoothed her hand against silk. "It needs something to work on."

"You know me." Maura let her arms slip up over Jane's shoulder and then closed them around her neck as the brunette molded into the hug with her. "How about Thai? I think my stomach would appreciate some noodles, the carbohydrates and vegetables will help compensate for the acid."

"Want me to go pick it up, or shall we call for take out?" Jane took a more relaxed breath. "What happened to the blouse by the way, I can't remember if I told you how great you looked this morning."

"No you didn't." She admitted feeling a swell of excitement at the fact Jane had noticed. "Bass didn't appreciate it as much as you did apparently." She knew it wasn't a lie and didn't feel the prickly rush of hives. "Why don't we call for it to be delivered? I think there is a hockey game on for one of the teams you like if you wanted to watch that."

"Sure we could watch the game." Jane nodded and then pulled in another breath. "Or if you like, after we've eaten we could go back to the park, it's beautiful in the evening too." She offered. "We could take in a little of 'The Loop'."

"That sounds even nicer." Maura agreed easily, sure that Jane knew already she'd prefer that to watching angry men chase a small plastic puck on the ice. "I will need to put on a sweater." She smiled at the tank top.

"Want to go there first? There are some nice places we can eat around the park." Jane tipped her head a little with a smirk. "There's still time for me to get you an ice cream or something from a vendor."

"Yeah, why don't we do that? You can have dessert first." Maura gave a soft laugh. "Let me go get something warmer on, and then we can go." She agreed easily, almost unable to believe the day was somehow going to end up back where it had started.

Jane loosened her arms and stepped back to free the blonde.

"Great." She nodded firming up the idea in her own head at the same time. "Though Maur..." She spoke directly to the blonde, making the ME turn and look at her. "Don't change the jeans." She smiled brighter.

"Okay." Maura couldn't stop her beaming grin and the spring in her step at the most specific compliment.

-x-


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All original property is not owned by us and we do not infer that any characters, creations or the concept of 'Rizzoli & Isles' are our property and the following fan fiction has been written purely for entertainment purposes only.

 **Flutter: Part Four**

"Okay I admit it, I admit it its yummy but I still might not quite understand how you can deep fry ice cream." Maura gave a soft laugh as she watched Jane all but scrape the bottom out of the small container to get the last remnants of her dessert.

"I know what you mean when you use the word 'yummy'." Jane laughed shaking her head. "You'll never eat one again will you." She backed up and dropped the container into the garbage.

"I will always steal a few bites when you have one, but I know I won't independently seek one out on my own." Maura admitted with a shrug. "So when was the last time you walked the Loop?" She decided not to edit herself and when Jane fell back into step beside her, she slipped her arm into the brunette's and naturally began to walk in the new closer position.

"A while ago now." Jane admitted with a nod reaching out to break off a dying branch from one of the slightly over hanging bushes they walked by. "I love doing the 99 steps." She admitted. "I used to race Frankie and Tommy up them all the time." She recalled with obvious fondness.

"We could do them." Maura invited the challenge. "I'm not sure I could race you in these shoes." She looked down at her high heeled boots. "But it would nice to walk them."

"I'm leading you there." Jane smirked slightly. "They lead to Ellicott Arch." She continued a different smile pulled at the tall detective's lips.

"Ellicott Arch? I don't think I've ever had the pleasure." Maura admitted seeing the look that crossed Jane's face but not yet pushing for an explanation. "Do you know much about it?" She inquired.

"About the arch itself?" Jane scrunched her face into a classic 'yeah right' face. "No Maura I know nothing about it, it's an arch made of stone, that someone built, I don't even know why they built it." She laughed shaking her head. "It looks a little like the same stone as the stairs?" She offered with a shrug. "They had some left over maybe?"

"Clearly that would be the reason for building an architectural focal point, the builder ordered too many bricks for the stairs." Maura gave a deep amused laugh and leaned more into Jane's arm. "You are adorable sometimes."

Jane smiled and shook her head.

"I like it, that's something I know about it." She gave Maura another insight to the mentioned arch. "I think it's beautiful."

"See, was that such a hard appraisal to give me?" Maura nodded to her insight as she saw the edge of the stairs come into view a little ways down the path.

"No." Jane shook her head, but then smiled again. "Yes." She changed her answer to as she looked at the blonde. "The second appraisal was a personal one." She offered the 'insight'. "I don't give personal answers, it's easier for me to give flippant answers that don't get personal."

"I know that normally you don't like to give personal answers, but considering there is only you, me and the lovely fall trees to hear you, I think perhaps you can feel safe that none of your answers will be used against you by the boys in the Brick." Maura encouraged her giving the arm linked in hers a squeeze. "What about it do you find the most beautiful? The construction, the location, the feeling of nature around you?" She urged her to continue.

"Yeah sure some of that." Jane nodded. "I mean it is pretty." She smiled as she poked her small stick at the greenery. "If I'm being honest, it's as much memory as it is 'it' that makes it beautiful." She admitted. "And it's one of the reasons I wanted to bring you here particularly." She went on. "I don't want to tell you yet." She added breaking away from the blonde to hurry forward a little to the top of the stairs, turning at the top and holding out her hand for Maura's. "They're not even so you might want a hand."

"Most definitely." Maura reached out to take Jane's hand to let her help her on the very uneven aged steps.

-x-

"You never told me..." Maura was glad when they reached the bottom considering she'd almost lost her balance a few times. "Who used to win your races against Tommy and Frankie?" She kept her fingers interlocked with Jane's as they had been most of the way to ensure she kept her footing, the taller Detective not seeming to have a single issue with the decent.

"Depends if I was in a nice mood or not." Jane smiled brightly as she increased their pace a little and then pulled the ME to a stop as they rounded the corner. "See..." She said her voice low as she nodded ahead of them. "It's pretty." She looked from the path ahead of them to the blonde and then back down the newly revealed path to where Ellicott Arch was now visible. The picturesque view was almost postcard perfect, and even though they were still in the city the world seemed to only comprise of the tree lined lane at that moment.

"Jane, it's breathtaking." Maura's hazel eyes sparkled as she took in what Jane had so purposefully brought her to see, squeezing the dark beauty's hand. "It makes me think of all the times in the past others must have come to walk this pass, hand in hand just like we are." She beamed at the brunette.

"Uh-huh." Jane nodded her agreement. "Want to walk the pass with me?" She asked glancing down at their hands for just a second.

"Of course." Maura nodded letting Jane take the first steps to start them on their way before she sped up her pace to stay level with the brunette as they moved down the remaining portion of the path until they got within ten feet of the arch itself.

It was only as they reached the ivy covered arch way that Jane pulled her to a stop and then stepped off the path onto the grass, lightly pulling Maura with her, the ME giving a little squeak as she was pulling off asphalt onto uneven turf in her high heels.

"How many of those walks do you think pause here?" Jane asked as suddenly the ME's back was resting on the aged stonework with the brunette stood in front of her, her dark eyes flicking between tracing over well known features and getting lost in hazel eyes. One of Jane's hands was flat on the cool stone to the high side of Maura's head, the other still held the blonde's hand.

"Only the lucky ones." Maura answered in a timbre that suddenly was toned with the arousal that having Jane pull her aside and press her into their current position caused to flare inside of her. Her soft pink tongue came out to wet her lips as her eyes tracked over Jane's face trying to read her mind almost.

Moving just her thumb from the hand braced on the wall Jane pressed it over blonde locks, and then twirled it into the same curl.

"I was one of the lucky ones once." She revealed, her voice soft and slightly hesitant. "I've not always been awkward with touching..." She continued, winding her thumb round and round in the soft hair. "One of my fondest, best memories of a relationship, a touch that felt good, felt right, is from here." She revealed the secret almost reverently. "It's why we're here." She broke the connection of their hands and place her hand instead over Maura's coat at her waist. "I wanted to feel how it felt with you, here."

"How do you feel being here with me?" Maura asked the question in a whisper of a voice, not because there was anyone around who could hear them but because it was a question just for Jane. She let her free hand to slide up and rest on Jane's forearm.

"I'm nervous." Jane admitted, but she kept her eyes on the blonde's and her hands in place.

"Nervous is a perfectly normal emotion." Maura met dark eyes with her own, wetting her lips again. "I feel a little nervous too."

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt you Maur." Jane frowned instantly.

"Jane, no... I'm not afraid." Maura clarified softly reaching her hand up further to grip onto the collar of Jane's leather jacket softly. "You don't make me afraid... I know that there are a lot of things to fear in the world but you aren't one of them, you are the one I know will always do 'anything' to protect me. You've proved that every time the world has tested you." She underlined wanting the brunette to erase the concept of fear from her mind.

"You're nervous." A smile replaced the frown on Jane's as she looked again into Maura's eyes. "Wondering what my next move is gonna be?" The detective's smile morphed into a smirk.

"Yes, exactly... I find that my own anticipation might be clouding my ability to decipher what your next move will be." Maura relaxed more against the wall behind her, lifting one leg to rest her boot against the wall continuing to draw her fingers up and down the leather label she still had a hold of.

"It's not that hard Maur..." Jane moved her hand off the wall and with it lightly steadied Maura's chin, though steadied wasn't an accurate term with how much the detective's hand was shaking. The brunette's voice was a thick warm whisper as her breath pressed out against Maura's skin, the distance between their face's dissipating rapidly before in a soft brief touch Jane's lips grazed against the blonde's.

Everything about the moment was transcendent for Maura; from the setting that meant so much to Jane, to the shake in the usually stoic brunette's hand to her own position against the wall that helped her combat the instant weakness in her knees as the kiss that she'd been anticipating for years finally happened. She slid her hand further up Jane's collar and gripped a little harder subtly pulling her closer.

It was to Jane's own surprise that she let herself be pulled closer, more than that she slipped the hand at Maura's waist a little around the ME's back. Her fingers grazing against the stone a little as she pulled Maura closer too, her mouth going back to press against the blonde's, lips lingering on lips this time, letting the feel of the soft warm flesh beneath her own actually register in her brain.

Maura only needed the small amount of encouragement to let her hand slide up into dark hair, bending her body into Jane's as she kissed her back with even more passion and want. Feeling her body flood with pleasurable endorphins and hormones in an intense rush she'd never experienced before.

At the soft bend in Maura's body Jane held on tighter, angling her head to respond to the deeper kiss, sliding her hand along Maura's jaw and into the blonde's hair just at her ear, her dark eyes closing as she broke the kiss only to instantly reconnect with Maura's lips again, this time her mouth slightly open.

Up until that moment Maura would have been able to confirm that a part of her brain was still keeping a tight reign on her body and heart to make sure she didn't 'overwhelm' Jane, but as the brunette's mouth came back to hers and she felt the play of Jane's open lips all semblance of 'control' left her sphere of thought. She let her own mouth open, kissing Jane back now with the reflected heat and desire that the brunette was making her feel. Still for the most part letting the detective lead the kiss but giving every cue necessary to make it clear to Jane how much she was enjoying the connection it was creating between them.

After several long moments of sensual kissing past, though Jane took it no further than open lips lovingly caressing one another, the detective eased her hand out of the blonde's hair and pulled her head back, a brilliant grin on her face as she looked the small distance down at Maura, her hand still spread wide on the blonde's back.

"Well that certain felt a lot different to how it did fifteen years or so ago." She blushed slightly as she smoothed blonde curls from off Maura's shoulder, doing her best to maintain eye contact, but dark eyes distractedly kept looking at Maura's lips, chin, body and hair, caught up in the blonde's beauty.

"By different do you mean I pale in comparison to your memory?" Maura asked the question with a certain sparkle in her eye as she slipped her hand back out of dark hair to the detective's collar again, feeling a sense of elation and happiness she hadn't dared to let herself even hope for.

"Yes, obviously." Jane's voice flooded with sarcasm. "You know I don't." She corrected shaking her head every so lightly. "Do me a favour." She reached up and put her hand over the one on her collar and eased Maura's hand loose, stepping back away from the blonde as she did so. "Stay there..." She backed up a little, reaching into the leather jacket pocket as she did, to pull out her cell phone, raising it up, bringing the old archway and the blonde into focus for the camera.

Almost on instinct Maura shook our her hair and tipped her head first to look at Jane with a bright smile, then turned sideways as if she was looking off towards the arch almost coyly before she looked back at the brunette who was still snapping pictures with a more sultry look.

Jane laughed brightly as she finally finished snapping off shots, having taken at least twenty of the blonde, more like thirty, before she pressed the phone back into her pocket and moved back to Maura's side.

"Thank you." She said slipping her arm instantly around the blonde and leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Well I can't remember the last time you actually asked to take a picture of me, actually... I'm not sure you've ever asked to take a picture of me." Maura grinned leaning in close to her again.

"You've never been my girlfriend before." Jane countered to her with a smirk. "I need something for behind my badge."

If Maura hadn't of been caught up in Jane's arm the moment would have probably culminated with her giving a slightly girlish squeak and body wiggle as the word 'girlfriend' filtered into her mind and heart but as it was the look of surprise and excitement was clear on her face and easy to read.

"I would be honoured to be behind your badge Detective, honoured to be your girlfriend Jane." Maura redirection of her energy made her words come out husky.

"You know I have the best looking girlfriend at the precinct." Jane's smile was as wide as her face as she gave Maura a little tug to come back towards the pathway to stop her heels from sinking into the grass anymore.

"I'm sorry Detective but I have to disagree with you." Maura shook her head thought she was grinning. "I have the most attractive girlfriend at the precinct." Letting Jane lead her back over to the path, loving that the brunette's hand didn't leave its protective cradle around her back even as they started into the actual tunnel.

Jane settled in close beside Maura, her long arm comfortably fitting around the blonde to reach her other side and pull her tight against her.

"We're the best looking couple for sure." She offered the compromise with a smile at the blonde before looking ahead to focus on the pathway, tipping her head the short distance necessary to lean her head against Maura's. "I don't know what I'm doing, you know that right?" She checked, her voice soft and a little unsure. "I just know that being with you makes more sense to me than being without you, that I like who I am when I'm with you, and I like how you make me feel." She offered a little uncertain she should. "I love you, I have no problem telling you that, and you know I do, at least I hope you do. Taking this step, whatever it entails, I hope you know that what it means to me is more of a chance for us at a forever together than it is for, I don't know... Me to turn into some weird Romeo..." She made a gruff snort.

"You might not be meaning for this to happen but I feel very Juliet at the moment." Maura admitted leaning in even closer to her. "I love you too Jane, I want you to be exactly who you are, who you've always been... just now with kissing." She added with a grin to herself. "And..." She turned her head to glance at the brunette softly as they walked. "We figure out what we're doing together, I think there is a romance to the fact that this is new to both of us."

"There can be more picnics, and more of that pudding in a jar." Jane glanced at Maura with a bright smile. "And more kissing." She added dropping her voice lower as she looked at her again, slowing down.

"More picnics, more pudding..." Maura blinked hazel eyes at her. "And if you insist more kissing." She let her mouth curl into a smirk. "Though so you know, I'm not letting you use your Rizzoli charm on me and get me into bed right away, you're going to have to work for that."

This announcement made Jane laugh loudly.

"I'm not getting YOU into bed the first night, oh no..." She shook her head. "You are going to have to work on me." Jane pointed to herself with her free hand. "Everyone knows you're easier than I am."

"I am appalled and offended." Maura put her hand up to her chest playfully pulling back. "I am not easier then you, I am just far more confident about my sexual choices." She re-framed with a tilt of her chin up. "And I consider this a challenge now." She wiggled her eyebrows just once up and down. "I admit that I want you, I think that goes without saying but..." She put on a coy look. "I won't be the one who cracks, you will, I guarantee it."

"Oh really?" Jane let her tongue pass out over her lips as she stood just looking Maura up and down for a long moment. "You're so wrong on this one Maura. You know that noise I made when I ate your pudding..." She closed her eyes for a moment and then made a low content groan like the one she had at the picnic before opening one again to look at the blonde for a reaction. "You want to hear that again in a different setting."

Maura eyes went wider and she also let her tongue slip out to lick her lips.

"So we agree that there are no rules to this challenge." She took a breath in through her nose. "Considering how low you just went."

"That wasn't low Maur, that was just me proving a point." Jane grinned again. "You want this." Flicking back her leather jacket, Jane stood up tall, pushed out her breasts, then vaguely ran her hand down over her 'curves'.

Maura watched every nuance of the move and bit her lower lip softly.

"I already admitted that Jane." She pointed out. "But the sheer fact..." She took slow, hip swaying steps closer, backing Jane up until she was leaned against the side of the tunnel. "That you are being so overtly flirty, suggests to me..." She brought one hand up and caressed the back of her fingers against the brunette's neck every so softly before pushing up on her tippy toes so that she could bring her mouth close to Jane's ear. "That you feel the ache of that want just as much as I do, want to know how I will sound when you erase the memory of any other lover I've ever had by taking me and making me yours."

Jane literally gave a body wide shiver and wrapped both arms around the blonde keeping her from retreating.

"How is this so easy with you? So comfortable, so fun?" She beamed as she looked down the short distance into hazel eyes, leaning in even to drop a brief kiss onto soft lips.

"I don't know, but I feel the same thing." Maura admitted pressing closer to tuck her head under Jane's chin to hug impossibly close for a moment breathing in all that the brunette was before she pulled back again. "I think... it's because we know each other Jane. We know each other happy, we know each other sad, worried, elated, nervous, afraid, petrified and even irrationally angry." She referenced her behaviour when they had been in the middle of their huge fight. "Physical intimacy is probably the only thing about each other that we don't know, but I still feel like you already know my boundaries, just like I hope I know yours." She blinked hazel eyes at her new girlfriend. "And anything I don't know, I'm ready to learn."

"I'm looking forward to learning." Jane admitted guiding Maura to tuck her head back in as she settled back into the close hug, staying silent for a long moment as she just rested her chin against soft blonde locks. "Ma's going to go crazy." She said in a low whisper her voice filled with soft humour.

"I must agree your mother is going to be quite elated, as she will assume this means she can start planning weddings and a nursery as she does whenever one of her children date." Maura also gave a soft laugh. "Well I hope she will be elated, perhaps she won't see me as a good enough option for her Janie." She used the name Angela always used softly.

"Are you kidding, I won't be good enough for Maura, I'm going to get pulled to the side and told to 'watch my this'.. and to 'be good to you' and to 'not upset you' and to 'remember I'm living in her guest house Janie, I could be homeless if you screw this up." Jane laughed.

"I would never do that to your mother." Maura pulled back her head to reassure her instantly and could see instantly in dark eyes that Jane knew that already and so again she pushed herself into the tight embrace with her ear tucked to Jane's collar bone. "Though there is one thing I should admit to you... Frankie guessed." She leaned back so she could see Jane's face again. "I asked him about places in the city that meant something to you and he told me about how special the park was, and he said you had told him about the dry run and he just blurted out that he knew my mystery man was you." She smiled softly.

Jane opened her mouth to say something, her body tensing a little, but the tension was gone the next instant as she smile and let out the breath she had taken in.

"He's a good man." She held Maura tightly. "So you ready to eat something other than fried ice-cream?"

"I am, I'm quite hungry actually." Maura encouraged staying in place a moment longer before she pulled back. "What shall we get? You know the options better than I do." She slipped her hand into Jane's and encouraged her to start walking again.

-x-

"Thank you." Unusually Jane stopped at the door when Maura opened her front door looking at the blonde as she threw the brunette a confused look, stepping over the threshold. "For coming out with me, for giving me a chance to put things right and for making a special place even more special than I could imagine." The detective still didn't move from her spot outside the door. "I'll see you tomorrow for Sunday family dinner?" She even took a half step backwards, pressing both of her hands into the small pockets of her leather jacket.

"Of course." Maura felt a smile pull at her features as she watched Jane and heard her words. She pulled the door half closed again staying near the threshold. "Thank you for wanting to take me there, to make such a special memory." She took the two slow steps that were necessary to put her in front of the brunette and then leaned up just brushing her lips against Jane's in an electric contact that she could feel crackle through her entire body. "I'll see you tomorrow." She underlined in a whisper.

"You shall." Jane reached out and carefully took hold of both of Maura hands, looking into hazel eyes. "Do you want to see a copy of the photograph a pick for my badge?" She asked with a soft smile. "I can text it to you." She gave a soft one sided smile.

"Yes, please." Maura nodded holding Jane's hands back. "Text me any of them that you like, but I want the final decision to be yours."

"Okay I will." Jane smile brighter. "You know I don't really believe today has happened." She admitted looking down at the hands in her own, only then realizing the significance of the fact that she was happily letting Maura hold her hands, which normally she had such a 'thing' about, with a smile she gave the blonde's hands a squeeze.

"I have to admit I have the same feeling of living a dream come true." Maura squeezed Jane's hands back every so softly, having also noted how easily Jane had held her hand most of the walk and had again taken them just now.

"Hey now I didn't say that..." Jane teased laughing softly. "By the way what happened to the other pudding in a jar?" The brunette smirked.

"One second, it's in the fridge, let me get it for you." Maura smiled at her teasing and gave the taller woman's hands another squeeze before she let go and dashed inside, coming back with not one but two small jars. "See how special you are." She winked at her holding them out.

"I feel special." Jane admitted with a brilliant smile. "What can I give you as a memento?" She reached out taking them.

"You gave me everything I could ever ask for Jane, a chance." Maura smiled at her shyly.

"Before I go, I do have a serious question to ask..." Jane took a small breath as she focused on the blonde for a moment. "How do you want to play tomorrow?"

"I think that's up to you but I want you to know I don't think we have to rush to let everyone know, we deserve time to savour this ourselves if you wanted." Maura spoke honestly. "We have nothing to hide but we also don't have any responsibility to deal with everyone's expectations from moment one."

Jane smiled slightly.

"You don't think we're going to need a little more of a plan than that with Ma?" She quirked her eyebrow.

"What do you want?" Maura questioned softly. "I know how important your family are to you, they're important to me too but when and how we tell them is your choice Jane."

"If we don't tell her before tomorrow, it means you can't be giving me puppy eyes over the spaghetti." Jane grinned.

"Well, I have to admit I'm not sure that I can fully control my puppy eyes." Maura grinned back at her. "I've got one of those saved for her, did you want to fill her full of chocolate and tell her now?" She offered with a toss of her hair.

Jane laughed brightly.

"Sure, let's go blow Ma's mind." Jane tucked a jar in each of her pockets.

"All right, let me get the jar I'm saving for her. Do you want to go ask her to come to the main house?" Maura honestly was surprised by the 'full ahead' attitude Jane was taking, though in her surprise she was unbelievably touched and felt more valued then she ever had before.

"Sure I'll go get her. Start making some tea..." Jane winked.

-x-

By the time that Jane had finally pushed back into the main Beacon Hill house, with Angela in tow chattering about something she had read in a magazine that she thought might somehow interest her daughter, Maura was just pouring hot water into her antique Chinese tea pot. The cups were all ready, Angela's chocolate treat on a small plate with a long spoon waiting for her as well, in fact everything was perfect accept the state of her inner emotions.

It wasn't honestly that she expected a scene from the older woman, but at times like this all of her historical uncertainty and years of social awkwardness seemed to hit her like a tidal wave and threaten to drown her. The truth was it was just that the opinion of Angela Rizzoli was so very important to her, as the woman had become like a third mother to her and a close confident unlike either her biological or adoptive ones.

"I just think that it's important for you to be aware of what's going on with the kids Jane, and these bath salts aren't used in the bath." Angela slipped up onto a stool continuing to sum up her comment on her article. "So this is exciting, Jane told me your picnic treat is delicious Maura, I can't wait to try it." She smiled at the serving in front of her.

"I haven't actually tried it, but yes Jane seemed to enjoy it. I had to protect that one for you." Maura looked at Jane with a soft smile. "Tea?" She pointed to the tea pot and was happy when Angela smiled and she could busy herself with making them both a cup.

"I have the other two right here." Jane pulled the others from her jacket pocket. "They're coming home with me." She summed up when Angela gave her a look.

"You can't do that Maura needs to try one. Janie you give her one back right now." The older Rizzoli frowned and pointed at the brunette. "I did not raise you to be selfish."

"No, no it's okay, I made them for Jane really, they are a little rich for my usual taste." Maura shook off the concern with a soft smile.

"But you have to try it." Angela shook her head and kept her eyes on the brunette. "And you can't let my Janie eat it all, she knows she has to share, she's always had to share. Janie you have to give Frankie one."

"What?" Jane opened her eyes wider and looked between Maura and her mother with a look of horror. "Ma Maura made them for me." There was almost a whine to her tone.

"Don't be such a baby." Angela said enjoying another spoonful of the treat. "They're too good to keep to yourself."

Jane relaxed her look of horror and then moved slowly through to the kitchen beside Maura who had continued to focus on the tea, which was taking the longest time ever.

"Actually Ma..." Jane stood close beside the blonde. "You should count yourself really lucky to be enjoying that one considering how special they are." She smirked slightly knowing that the comment itself would make her mother look up.

The older Rizzoli was about to just throw a comment back to her daughter but instead she looked up and paused from enjoying the pudding when she was eating, a quick frown pulling at her brow when she saw her daughters re-position.

"Special?" Angela sat up a little, looking between the other two women for more information.

"Maur?" Jane smirked and looked at the blonde.

"As you can guess it's not the type of thing that I would normally cook, I found the recipe and made it particularly for Jane, even more than that I made it particularly for our picnic this afternoon." Maura's hazel eyes had turned to meet Jane's as she took a half step closer to the taller brunette. "Because..." Her eyes had moved back to meet Angela's before she looked at Jane again. "I was trying to convey a very special message to her."

"Oh." Angela opened her eyes a little wider and sat up a little more. "Is it an anniversary or something? You two have worked together for so long." She smiled at them brightly.

"Not exactly Ma." It was Jane who smiled at her mother's offer of a 'reason', and then very deliberately she reached and took hold of Maura's hand. "Maura wanted to explain to me how she felt."

"How she felt?" Angela quirked her eyebrow and looked to Maura.

"I made the desserts because I had used little swatches of cloth to wrap them and I used one of those cloths to relay a message to Jane." Maura squeezed the hand that was holding her own, feeling empowered by the contact. "To tell her that..." She let her eyes move from the older Rizzoli again to look at Jane, an emotional look coming over her features. "She makes my heart flutter." She used the exact words in a loving whisper.

Jane almost 'rewarded' the words with a loving smile back at the blonde before she looked back at her mother.

For a moment Angela looked between the two other women and then took a little breath as if trying to rein in some kind of initial reaction.

"I see." She reached up to fuss with the edge of her hair obviously waiting for more information, especially from her daughter.

"I know that look Ma." Jane smiled slightly. "I reacted badly." She admitted glancing at Maura and then back at her mother, who instantly seemed to frown in disappointment. "But we worked it out." She raised their joined hands slightly so that Angela could easily see them. "That's why you're here, eating my special pudding." Jane took a breath. "We wanted you to be the first person to know."

"And what exactly are you telling me Jane?" Angela asked the question looking at her daughter to say even more.

"Maura's my girlfriend Ma." Dropping Maura's hand Jane moved closer to the blonde and wrapped her arm around her back, securing the hold at the blonde's waist.

Angela's initial reaction to this announcement was impossible to decipher, she looked between the two of them, taking in the whole picture of her daughter willingly hugging her hand around the blonde. Of course she was instantly aware that her usually standoffish and stoic daughter was not only being touchy feely but this was the first time that Angela could ever remember Jane making this kind of announcement. Usually since her teenage years, Jane would be already dating a boy, sometimes for weeks before Angela would have to impose the 'definition' of what their relationship was onto her daughter to figure out her social life.

"So..." Angela put down her spoon. "You've been friends, best friends for four years... and today you went on a picnic and now you're dating?" She outlined the suddenness of the change as she tried to get her head around it.

"That's about it." Jane nodded. "Do you have a problem with that?" The brunette arched her eyebrow ever so slightly not bothering to hide the surprise in her tone.

Angela pressed up from where she was sitting and moved slowly around the island, waiting until she was only a step away from Jane before she opened her arms and engulfed her daughter in a tight hug.

"Oh Janie, of course I don't have a problem." Angela's voice was now full of what could only be described as relief. "All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy, and I know with Maura you're happy." She outlined hugging her daughter's head to her shoulder, grinning at the blonde over Jane's shoulder as tears filled her eyes. "I was always afraid you would never let anyone into your heart, never let anyone take care of you and love you." She rocked both their bodies in the embrace. "And now here you are, telling me first how she's your girlfriend... you've never done that... you always skulk around in the shadows and I have to drag it out of you." She finally let go of Jane and took the taller woman's face in her hands for a moment to lean in and kiss her cheek before she finally let go and moved to catch Maura up in a similar hug. "Oh and you... so brave." She hugged her tighter.

Jane stood a little taller as her mother moved to hug the blonde a broad smile pulled at her face.

"I love her Ma, you know that." Jane admitted her voice soft and honest. "But we're not announcing it just yet okay? Just for you okay, we want to enjoy each other for a while first."

"Okay, okay... I can keep a secret." She grinned at the two of them. "But... just because I'm your mother and you know I have to ask these kinds of questions..." She moved back around to her chair to pick up her spoon again. "But you are both aware that there are clinics that can help make my grand-babies right?" She gave a typical smirk. "TJ needs cousins, close to his age..." She hinted more.

"Ma." Jane groaned and rolled her eyes as she moved back closer to Maura and again slipped her arm around the blonde. "We'd have to get married for babies to be an option." She said without thinking.

"That's my girl, I knew I raised you right, unlike your brother, you get that these things have an order." Angela clapped her hands together clearly pleased with the answer. "But don't put that off too long, you're not getting any younger Janie."

"Eat your pudding Ma." Jane groaned looking at Maura shaking her head a little almost in apology.

-x-


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: All original property is not owned by us and we do not infer that any characters, creations or the concept of 'Rizzoli & Isles' are our property and the following fan fiction has been written purely for entertainment purposes only.

 **Flutter: Part Five**

"So, ah Jane..." Frankie looked behind them on the couch towards the busy kitchen, happy to see that Tommy was fussing with TJ and wouldn't be joining them to watch the football game they were planted in front of the TV to watch with a few beers. He dropped his voice lower, making sure that his tone was one that only his sister would hear right beside her. "How did your talk go with Maura?" He glanced again over his shoulder to where the Doctor and his mother were working on various parts of the meal in almost perfect synchronicity. It was just one of those things to Frankie that had always signaled the exalted place that Maura had within their family. His mother didn't hesitate to reveal her deepest cooking secrets to the blonde, to correct her softly on why a certain noodle needed to be under cooked or seemingly overcooked, to add a pinch of something to a sauce that Maura was preparing. It was a place that his sister had never been able to occupy, taking the criticism too hard or getting flustered with a gentle correction but Maura had slid into the spot as if it had been reserved for her all along.

"Oh you know it was okay." Jane shrugged and took a drink from her beer, very deliberately keep everything about her response nonchalant. "We talked, sorted out that I'm really you know freaked out about the whole idea because of... just who I am." She offered a shrug. "I think we cleared things up okay."

"Come on what the hell does that mean." Frankie frowned at her annoyed by how little her answer revealed. "Are you dating? Are you just friends still? Give me something here." He turned slightly to glare at her as he tipped his bottle up for another drink.

"We're friends." Jane gave another shrug. "This is hardly the place to discuss it Frankie." She lowered her voice. "I promise to warn you in advance if we're going to announce our engagement before dessert."

"You are like trying to get secrets out of the Godfather." Frankie gave an even more annoyed huff. "And officially if you're just friends, your an idiot." He tipped his bottle up again.

"Well use those detective skills the city of Boston is paying you for and see what you come up with." Jane chuckled, ignoring her brothers jibes. "I'm happy with the outcome, that's all I'll say."

"At least you didn't screw up Sunday dinner." Frankie poked her in the leg as he got up to get another beer.

-x-

"I'm not sure Angela, I don't know how you do it, I just can't seem to master this sauce." Maura twirled the wooden spoon in sauce pan with a soft frown.

"Oh that's nonsense." Angela shook her head with a soft laugh. "I've seen and tasted some of the things you've cooked, this is nothing like that, it's so simple in comparison."

"It's not simple." Maura gave a soft laugh. "It's a complex mixture of flavours and... I want it to be perfect." She spoke the words softly to Angela looking towards the living room where Tommy had joined Frankie and Jane to watch the game bouncing TJ on his knee.

Angela followed the blonde's eyes for a moment and then smiled slightly.

"I hope it came across last night Maura but I am so proud of you, and so, so happy. I don't know how I'm going to make it through dinner without this ridiculously happy smile on my face, but it's okay because I'm allowed to be happy because I have all of my family around me..." She reached out and put her hand over the ME's and squeezed it lightly.

"I feel like I have a ridiculous happy smile too, what is going to be my excuse?" Maura smiled brightly at her. "When I told Jane... I of course hoped she might feel the same but I also know Jane." She said the words knowing that Angela would understand what she 'wasn't' saying.

"Oh I understand my Janie isn't the easiest..." Angela's voice softened. "But she's capable of so, so much love, and I know she loves you Maura."

"That is one thing I have don't doubt." Maura agreed with her softly. "I think Jane has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known, she might try to hide it away but her heart guides everything she does."

"And what about you Maura, what do you think guides you?" Angela focused for a moment on the blonde, her smile soft and kind.

"For so long it was my work, I'd learned to hide my heart away but the last few years have taught me, Jane has taught me... that being happy with my work is only a part of my overall happiness." Maura stirred the sauce softly. "Family and love are a big part being happy, and becoming a part of your family has taught me how much I've been longing for this feeling." She smiled at Angela. "My biggest road map right now includes dreams I've been afraid to even admit that I have... loving her..." She glanced back at the couch again. "Marriage, children." She grinned knowing that these two answers would make Angela especially happy.

"Oh Maura..." Angela enthused, but still quietly and controlled. "You deserve all of those things and to think you might be getting those as a Rizzoli." She gave a little controlled shiver of excitement.

"You're right, I don't know how we're going to not blind everyone with our smiles at dinner." Maura gave her own shiver of excitement.

-x-

"Ah does anyone know if Ma is planning something or announcing something?" Tommy looked back at the kitchen with a soft frown before returning his look to his sister and brother. "Because I'm gettin' the vibe from that kitchen that somethin' is on the go in there. She's not dating your boss again is she, 'cause honestly I don't know how you deal with that?"

"Tommy she never stopped dating him." Jane groaned shaking her head. "She just makes sure he's lying down when he takes that pill now."

"AH CHRIST JANE!" Tommy tried to shield his son's ears. "I don't want to know about that." He made a disgusted face.

"How do you think we feel?" Frankie made his own face. "But she's happy, we have to support her. Cavanaugh is a good guy, she could do a lot worse."

"Frankie's right, he's a good guy and he'll treat Ma right." Jane paused and then leaned up, turning to lean on the back of the couch as she looked into the kitchen. "Everything alright back there? Do you need a hand or anything? Tommy thinks there's something going on. Did you burn the sauce and need me to run out to the store?"

"Burn the sauce, don't be ridiculous." Angela called back with a flap of the dish towel in her hand. "Maura is a fantastic cook, way better than the three of you, you just watch your game and we'll take care of family dinner." She grinned even more at Jane and flapped the towel again. "I just feel blessed today to have my whole family here for dinner." She continued to beam at her daughter.

Jane pushed up and stepped over Frankie's leg moving to the kitchen and making a bee line for the fridge.

"I think we all feel blessed Ma." She said with a smile as she grabbed a beer and then moved to the stove standing between Maura and her mother. Reaching around the blonde she picked up the stirring spoon from the work top beside the ME and dipped it in the large pot. Dropping the spoon in the mixture the brunette surreptitiously brought her hand back and lightly placed it on Maura's ass. "Mmmm that sauce is goooood."

"Is it? I wasn't sure if it was seasoned right." Maura looked over her shoulder at Jane with a smirk as the hand that remained almost boldly on her backside, she flexed the muscle softly.

"Sure tastes good to me." Jane licked her lips and then squeezed the ME's ass before sliding her hand up to hold Maura's waist. "Are you sure you don't want me to just fly out and get something, I sure think that fresh Canolli's would go great with this."

"No, I worked on something for dessert already." Angela gently hit Jane with her towel as she moved by to get something from the fridge.

"I have no idea what it is, she's got it a her place to surprise everyone." Maura warned Jane softly, reaching to put her free hand around her body to squeeze it over Jane's. "Should we be afraid?" She whispered with a smirk.

"Maybe." Jane whispered back her smirk matching the blondes. "You doing okay?" Jane checked. "You look beautiful." She threw in.

"Thank you." Maura blossomed a little more under the compliment. "I'm doing great, how are you doing?"

"I'm winding up Frankie, enjoying TJ and getting high on the smell of great cooking." Jane gave her summary. "Oh and every now and again I take a sneak peak at my girlfriend." She added a smirk pulling at her lips.

"Would you believe I have been sneaking peaks at my girlfriend as well?" Maura squeezed the hand under hers . "After dinner... are you going to stay around for awhile?" She asked the question she had wanted an answer to almost since Jane had arrived earlier.

"If I'm invited." Jane's smirked stayed in place. "We have a couple things we could talk about, or do."

"You're invited." Maura gave a soft chuckle at the words. "And what do we have to talk about?" She quirked an eyebrow.

"Well that depends on who wins the game." Jane grinned.

"Does what we 'do' depend on who wins the game or does is kissing one of those rare things that isn't effected by sports?" Maura knew that no one was close enough to hear this comment.

"You know I don't know the answer to that." Jane shook her head with a smile. "Your sauce needs stirring." She added with a wink as she leaned and picked up her beer and moved off from Maura's side, but not before leaning briefly closer. "But if my team wins, there could be a celebration ritual." She whispered before pulling away.

-x-

"So... who won the game?" Maura had completely enjoyed dinner, but was also now glad her house was quiet and it was only the two of them. Slipping down to sit next to Jane on the couch she held out the beer she had brought over to the detective.

"Actually I didn't care who won." Jane admitted with a smirk taking the bottle with one hand and reached the other out along the back of the couch behind the blonde, not touching the ME, but along the actually couch back. "I had something better to watch most of the time."

"Oh really, and what was that?" Maura played coy as she leaned to put her wine glass on the coffee table and then leaned back so Jane's arm was again on the couch behind her. "Making sure you're brothers didn't get more of those delicious cupcakes your mother made then you did?"

Jane shook her head.

"TJ." She teased Maura.

"He is getting so big, and is such a charmer isn't he?" Maura didn't flinch as she agreed with her. "He looked so cute in the little jeans I picked up for him."

Jane suddenly dropped her hand off the back of the couch onto Maura's shoulder and literally pulled the blonde into her side, using her other arm to catch the other woman up in a hug.

"You are adorable." She laughed brighter. "Yes, TJ only looked wonderful because of the jeans you bought him." She laughed, kissing Maura impulsively on the cheek in the embrace.

"No, I didn't say only because just that they did look adorable on him." Maura laughed softly leaning into the encouraged embrace with only the tiniest of suggestion, beaming when she felt Jane's lips on her cheek. "Your mother is so happy." She added in a soft voice snuggling closer to Jane's body.

"Is she?" Jane loosened her hold slightly but kept her upper arm across the top of the couch and around her girlfriend. "Did you and her 'connect' over cooking?"

"Yes, we talked a little." Maura admitted running her hand over the material covering Jane's stomach as she remembered the conversation. "She loves you." She underlined the fact that she hadn't needed all of this to prove but that Angela had once again solidified in a way Maura found amazing.

"Well that's reassuring." Jane laughed softly. "She loves you too." The brunette grew a little more serious. "And that she's happy that we're together, that's great, really it is." Jane gave the blonde a slight squeeze. "But you need to know Maur, if she wasn't, it wouldn't change this, it wouldn't change us."

"Thank you, I needed to hear that." Maura admitted softly smoothing her hand over Jane's shirt again before she brought hazel eyes up to look into dark ones. "You are amazing Jane." She spoke the words in a loving voice.

"Thank you, you know there's a rumour out there that you're pretty incredible too." Jane's tone softened.

Maura smiled and pushed herself up the short distance pressing her lips in a soft short meeting to Jane's.

"So, what do you want to do with the rest of our evening? Talk?" Maura asked the question keeping her face only a few inches from Jane's.

"No, I want to kiss you." Jane smirked at the very 'obvious' move from the ME as she leaned in too and lightly brushed their lips together. "A few times." She kissed her again.

"Mmmmmm I think I could agree to that." Maura felt a shiver go down her spine as their lips brushed together a second time and then leaned to repeat the touch again. She shifted herself so that she was facing more easily towards Jane. "So how did I do with my puppy eyes during dinner?"

"Well the good news is, Ma was so... , everyone was pretty much convinced that Cavanaugh is..." Jane arched her eyebrows. "And so no one was really looking at you." She grinned wickedly. "Except me, and I just thought you looked..." Jane paused again. "Better without the apron."

"Didn't go with my dress did it?" Maura gave a soft laugh and then reached up slipping her hand to rest on Jane's shoulder before she leaned in slowly closer again and brought their lips together again, this time starting at one corner and pressing soft kisses towards the other side along the ridge of Jane's lower lip.

"Mmmmm." Jane moaned softly in the gentle kiss and lightly matching the gentle teasing that Maura had started, honestly enjoying the light play of lips against lips, having never experienced anything really like it before. Breaking the tender play Jane leaned in pressing their foreheads together for a moment. "Were you the kind of girl who practiced kissing?"

"No." Maura shook her head softly in the position. "I didn't have my first kiss until I was 15." She admitted shyly. "And it was awkward and sloppy." She gave a soft eye roll at the memory. "I believe he might have practiced and was under the belief you needed to do a lot more with your tongue then is really always necessary, especially from moment one. What about you?"

"Actually my first kiss was where I took you yesterday." Jane blushed slightly. "Well no maybe not my first ever, but the first one that counted. It was awkward, but pretty good actually." She smiled more. "It brought to close a really good day, he actually knew that all I wanted was a soft, long moment of tenderness."

"I don't know if I can arrange for us to get into the Desmond's back rose garden with you." Maura felt a warmth engulf her as the fact that Jane had taken her to the arch the night before took on an even more meaningful hue. It just went to prove to her what she already knew, which was that even if Jane mostly appeared to not be sentimental and romantic, the detective was in fact both things and so much more than her carefully gruff exterior gave away. "But if I could, I would." She underlined massaging her fingers into Jane's shoulder. "Thank you for sharing the Arch with me." She added in a soft whisper wanting Jane to know how much she understood the gesture. "Though your claims your not my Romeo are getting harder to believe."

Jane laughed softly and moved her hand to lightly smooth over Maura's hair.

"You know I'm just me Maur." She said softly. "We should make plans for next weekend, do something for you, how about a museum? Or the gallery?"

"There is a new exhibit of the Magna Carta at the museum I wanted to see while it was in town." Maura enthused immediately.

"Then we should do it." Jane nodded. "Then we'll have dinner somewhere 'swanky'." She grinned.

"Do you want to plan this for Friday night?" Maura filled in their itinerary. "We can visit the museum after work and have dinner to motivate me not to keep you staring at an old piece of parchment for too long." She grinned back.

"No, Saturday is good, gives you lots of time to peer at some wrinkled old dead papyrus, and take in the rest of the museum, or are you sick of the museum?" Jane smirked.

"You know I could never be sick of the museum." Maura gave a bright laugh and then her look dimmed a little to a soft smile. "So... tomorrow is work." She pointed out gently. "I think it's easy to know how we should deal with work, wouldn't you agree?"

"Work is work." Jane arched her eyebrow and gave a soft sigh. "I apologize if I withdraw."

"No, that's what I want you to understand, it is work and I know that we both have expectations to meet and that any personal relationship we have, not just with each other now but with others in the past, have never been able to interfere with our jobs." Maura underlined for her. "I'm not going to start 'guessing' just because we're dating, and I don't expect you to be Detective Romeo either. I still expect you to be impatient, brusque and demanding, just while you can expect me to still be thorough, methodical and scientific." She smiled softly. "But I also hope that we don't have to change the things we'd normally do, like you coming down to visit me in the morgue or me going up to the Brick, meeting for coffee at the Cafe, going out for lunch when we have time."

"Sounds like we're coming from the same place." Jane nodded and smiled. "You think you could order drapes or something for your office? Then maybe I could drop down to the morgue for other kinds of trips." She smirked.

"I think that I could most certainly do that." Maura grinned at the suggestion. "Maybe we should also work out a text code that says I'm having a bad day and need to meet in my office for a kiss."

"That's a good idea, no, that's a great idea." Jane's smirk grew into a bright smile. "So you want to watch a movie? I believe I have a movie watching pose pre-booked."

"I want to enjoy the movie watching pose." Maura agreed with her moving from where she was only to get the remote and deposit it into Jane's hand before twisting her body so she was leaned in against Jane with her head on the detective's shoulder. "I'm ready."

Jane chuckled at the blonde's instant agreement and shift.

"You make me happy, do you know that?" Jane pointed the remote at the TV and began to surf the channel guide.

"Mmmm that's my goal." Maura admitted. "To make you as happy as you make me." She snuggled a little closer, her mind remembering the rare times they'd watch a movie this close and how she'd wished at the time that she was living this moment right now. With a soft smile to herself she vowed to enjoy every moment of the movie, no matter what Jane picked.

-x-


End file.
